MARGUERITE    DJCKINS 


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ALONG   SHORE 


WITH    A   MAN-OF-WAR 


BY 

MARGUERITE    DICKINS 


BOSTON,    MASS.: 


COPLEY  8QUAKE, 

1893. 


COPYRIGHTED,  1893, 

BY 
MARGUERITE    DICKINS. 


ALL  KIGHTS  RESERVED. 


Arena    Press. 


INTRODUCTION. 


WHEN  I  first  joined  the  United  States  Navy,  by  means  of  a 
marriage  certificate,  I  found  that  a  properly  equipped  sailor 
carried  the  Spanish  language  in  his  mental  kit,  so  I  acquired  it 
and  have  enjoyed  the  possession  immensely,  especially  when 
taking  the  journey  of  which  this  book  gives  all  the  details  that 
I  thought  would  please  the  public. 

For  two  years  and  a  half  I  sailed  up  and  down  the  east  coast 
of  South  America ;  seeing  the  lovely  scenery ;  meeting  the 
officials,  and  private  families  ;  talking  to  and  visiting  them ; 
reading  the  books  they  loaned  me,  or  I  could  buy,  until  I  felt 
quite  at  home  among  them  and  made  many  friends. 

My  letters  home  were  so  much  enjoyed,  and  so  many  have 
praised  those  of  them  that  were  published  in  the  press,  that'  I 
venture  to  test  the  value  and  sincerity  of  their  words  by  launch- 
ing these  letters  in  a  volume,  trusting  they  may  help  to  pleas- 
antly wile  away  some  hours  for  some  one. 

MARGUERITE  DICKINS. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

I.  MOUTH  OF  THE  AMAZON   .         ... 

II.  CITY  OF  MARANHAM     » 

III.  CITY  OF  PERNAMBUCO 

IV.  CITY  OF  BAHIA  ...... 

V.  Rio  DE  JANEIRO         .          . 

.    VI.    Rio  DE  JANEIRO 
VII.    Rio  DE  JANEIRO          ...... 

VIII.    THE  Rio  DE  LA  PLATA — MONTEVIDEO    .  . 

IX.    SCENES  IN  MONTEVIDEO      .: 
X.    OSTRICHES  IN  URUGUAY — VISIT  TO  SENOR  SAPELLO'S 

BIRD  FARM  NEAR  PIEDRAS 

XI.    CLOSING  CEREMONIES   OF  A   CONGRESS  OF  SOUTHERN 
REPUBLICS        ...... 

XII.    HOTELS    IN    MONTEVIDEO  —  THE  FAVORITE  BATHING 
RESORTS  ...... 

XIII.    THE     CARNIVAL    SEASON' IN    THE   GAY   CAPITAL    OF 

URUGUAY         . 
XIV.    A  BULL-FIGHT  IN  MONTEVIDEO       .... 

XV.    CITY  OF  BUENOS  AYRES       ..... 

XVI.    SHOPS  OF  BUENOS  AYRES     ..... 

XVII.    OBJECTS    OF    INTEREST  IN  THE  SUBURBS  OF  BUENOS 
.    AYRES    ....... 

XVIII.    THE  CITY  OF  LA  PLATA      ..... 

XIX.    UP  THE  URUGUAY  RIVER  —  CITY  OF  COLONIA  . 
XX.    PAYSANDU  AND  THE  CAPITAL  OF  ENTRE  Rios  . 
XXI.    UP  THE  RIVER  URUGUAY  —  NUEVA  PALMYRA    .  . 
XXII.    FRAY  BENTOS 

XXIII.  AFLOAT  ON  THE  PARANA      ..... 

XXIV.  UP    THE    GREAT    RIVER  TO  THE   MODERN    CITY    OF 

ROSARIO  ...... 

XXV.    A  TRIP  TO,  CORDOBA  . 

XXVI.    FROM  ROSARIO  TO  SANTA  ELENA  AND  CITIES  BY  THE 

WAY 

XXVII.    LA  PAZ  TO  CORRIENTES       ..... 
XXVIII.    THE  CITY   OF   ASUNCION  — ELEVEN   HUNDRED  MILES 

UP  THE  PARANA  AND  PARAGUAY 

XXIX.    THE  PLACE  OF  LOPEZ  ..... 

XXX.    THE  ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  INDEPENDENCE   OF   PARA- 
GUAY     .  .  .  . 
XXXI.    SUBURBS  OF  ASUNCION 


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LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PORTRAIT  OF  AUTHOR. 

U.  S.  S.  TALLAPOOSA,  MONTEVIDEO  HARBOR. 

GROUP  OF  PALMS,  BRAZIL. 

Rio  DE  JANEIRO,  BRAZIL. 

AVENUE  OF  PALMS,  BOTANICAL  GARDEN,  Rio  DE  JANEIRO. 

TIJUCA,  BRAZIL. 

MONTEVIDEO,  FROM  THE  CERRO. 

INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE,  MONTEVIDEO. 

VICTORIA  SQUARE,  BUENOS  AVRES. 

GROUP  OF  AMERICANS,  CORDOBA,  ARGENTINE. 

HANDKERCHIEF    PARAGUAYAN  LACE. 


ALONG   SHORE   WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 


I. 

MOUTH   OF   THE   AMAZON. 

SCENES  IN  THE  CITY  OF  PARA — TROY-MADE  CARS  ON  THE 
STREET  RAILROADS — THE  HOTELS  AND  MARKETS — A  VISIT 
TO  "  MONKEY  JOE?S  " — THE  CLIMATE  AND  PEOPLE. 

A  LONG  stretch  of  sandy  beach  to  the  south,  masses  of  tum- 
bled, dirty  water  to  the  north,  and  a  narrow  winding  channel 
beneath  our  keel ;  this  was  the  mouth  of  the  mighty  Amazon. 
And  things  did  not  improve  much  as  we  made  our  way  up. 
The  sky  line  of  Marajo  Island  is  a  dead  level ;  a  distant  line  of 
tropical  forest,  unbroken  and  uninteresting,  except  as  one 
peoples  it  with  animals,  savages,  birds,  flowers  or  anything  else 
that  fancy  suggests,  according  as  one's  imagination  is  inclined 
to  the  beautiful  or  the  savage.  The  right  bank  we  gradually 


8  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A   MAN-OF-WAR. 

approached,  and  here  and  there  was  a  clearing,  with  a  red-roofed 
house,  or  perhaps  there  was  a  glimpse  of  the  roofs  of  a  tiny  vil- 
lage, all  the  roofs  of  the  same  bright  red  tiles,  which  were 
evidently  made  in  the  many  brick-yards  that  nestled  close  down 
to  the  water  against  the  bank  or  perched  on  some  tiny  bluff. 

The  tiles  that  they  make  are  like  the  old  curved  'Dutch  ones, 
and  are  used  exclusively  for  roofs.  The  bricks  are  shaped  like 
a  small  carpenter's  square  when  viewed  end  on,  and  have  three 
square  openings  clear  through  them  ;  they  are  also  longer  and 
broader  than  our  bricks.  As  we  approached  Para  there  were 
islands  near  us  which  narrowed  the  channel  until  we  seemed 
really  to  be  in  a  river.  Still,  the  islands  and  banks  were  not 
attractive — always  low  and  monotonous,  the  dense  growth  of 
trees  reaching  down  to  and  often  dipping  into  the  water,  the 
masses  of  vines  running  over  and  drooping  from  them.  The 
occasional  bits  of  slimy  bank  all  looked  gloomy,  forbidding,  and 
miasmatic,  in  spite  of  the  blending  of  the  beautiful  shades  of 
green  in  the  different  plants. 

About  6:30  our  anchor  dropped,  and  we  swung  into  our  berth 
off  the  City  of  Para,  but  had  hardly  more  than  a  glimpse  of  her 
shining  buildings  before  the  sun  set,  and  in  three  minutes  it 
was  dark,  the  stars  above,  twinkling  lamplights  in  the  city,  and 
numerous  bonfires  alone  lighting  up  in  a  vague  way  the  city. 
It  was  a  feast  day,  hence  the  bonfires  before  the  churches,  the 
band  of  music  playing  loudly,  and  the  rockets  which  went  up 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  9 

from  all  parts  of  the  place.  The  next  day  we  went  ashore  early, 
and  landed  at  a  nice  covered  wharf — a  wharf  is  a  luxury  any 
one  who  has  traveled  much  appreciates,  and  a  covered  one 
is  more  than  luxury. 

First  we  found  a  long,  narrow  park  fronting  the  river, 
planted  with  palm  trees,  and  around  the  base  of  one  was  a 
group  of  half-naked,  brown-skinned  boys,  gambling  with  their 
copper  pennies,  and  they  were  much  amused  when  I  resented 
their  calling  me  English ;  but  I  know  by  experience  that  to  the 
South  American,  to  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  is  to  be  a 
friend,  and  to  be  English  is  the  contrary.  Behind  the  park, 
facing  the  river,  is  a  row  of  large  two-storied  buildings,  their 
fronts  entirely  covered  with  glazed  tiles.  The  effect  was 
beautiful  as  they  shone  and  sparkled  in  the  tropical  sun,  and 
as  most  of  the  buildings  and  residences  in  the  city  were  en- 
tirely covered  with  these  tiles,  brought  from  Portugal,  you  can 
fancy  what  a  gay  city  it  is.  The  bank  building,  where  we 
changed  some  money,  was  covered  with  pale  green  tiles,  a  pink 
conventional  rose  in  relief  being  in  the  center  of  each  one. 
Apropos  of  money,  for  an  English  sovereign  we  received  11,000 
paper  reis,  a  rei  being  the  unit  of  value  used  in  Brazil.  The 
smallest  copper  coin  used  is  a  piece  of  twenty  reis — one  cent — 
and  what '  one  uses  most  commonly  are  the  one  and  two 
hundred  nickel  reis  pieces,  and  the  one,  two,  five,  and  ten 
mil — thousand — reis  bank  notes.  Their  paper  money,  like 


10  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

that  of  most  of   the   world,  is  made  by    the   American  Bank 
Note  Company  of  New  York,  and  is  very  pretty  when  new. 

We  went  to  the  market,  walking  along  one  of  the 
many  paved  streets  with  stone  sidewalks,  and  found  it  in  a 
large  white-washed  building  which  had  a  court  or  patio 
in  the  center.  A  patio  is  a  closed  or  open  court,  with  or 
without  flowers  in  it,  and  often  forming  the  chief  feature 
in  a  house.  There  were  piles  of  fruit  all  about  on  the 
stands;  among  them,  bananas  of  many  varieties,  pine-apples, 
avocates,  sapodillas,  cocoa-nuts,  oranges,  limes,  and  many 
others  that  were  new  to  me.  Two  stands  had  decorated 
gourds  ;  there  were  a  few  chattering  monkeys,  screaming 
parrots,  and  smaller  birds.  There  were  a  few  Brazil  nuts, 
both  in  and  out  of  the  husk,  but  it  was  not  the  season 
for  them,  and  I  here  learned  that  the  sole  source  of  the 
world's  supply  was  the  Upper  Amazon.  The  natives,  who 
bring  them  down  in  big  canoes,  are  often  a  month  on  the 
voyage  down  and  two  or  three  on  the  return,  if  they  ever 
return,  for  they  often  break  up  their  canoes  and  remain 
in  Para,  appalled  by  the  difficulties  of  the  return  trip 
against  the  swift  river. 

The  street  cars  are  like  the  open  ones  we  use  in  summer, 
and  were  made  by  John  Stephenson,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  They 
are  drawn  by  two  fair-sized  rats  with  long  ears,  which  are 
called  mules  to  flatter  them.  They  go  at  a  gallop  most 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  H 

of  the  time,  and  as  the  tracks  are  much  neglected  and  in  a 
state  to  give  you  sudden  surprises,  you  wish  you  had  the 
driving  to  do.  Some  one  must  have  had  carte-blancTie  given 
him  to  put  down  street-car  tracks,  for  they  are  on  all  of  the 
principal,  all  of  the  side  streets,  and  most  of  the  alleys,  be- 
sides running  well  out  into  the  country.  Most  of  the  streets 
are  shaded  by  mango  trees.  This  tree  has  a  large  trunk 
with  a  smooth  bark;  the  foliage  is  bright  green  and  very 
dense ;  the  fruit  about  the  size  of  a  goose  egg,  smooth, 
bright  yellow,  the  pulp  clinging  firmly  to  the  pit;  it  is  also 
sweet  and  tastes  strongly  of  turpentine.  There  is  a  stretch 
of  palms  down  one  street  that  they  seemed  very  proud  of, 
and  they  were  beautiful ;  but  palms  are  indigenous,  and  if 
they  like  them  so  much,  why  not  have  a  lot?  The  tiled 
houses,  situated  behind  gardens  full  of  blooming  plants, 
looked  lovely,  and  the  wild,  luxuriant  growths  in  the  sub- 
urbs were  fascinating ;  but  we  could  not  linger  long,  as  the 
thermometer  stood  at  about  120  ° ,  and  every  one  but  myself 
complained  of  the  heat. 

We  went  to  the  principal  hotel  and  had  a  poor  dinner, 
with  good  native  wine,  in  a  nice,  cool,  clean  room,  with 
blooming  plants  on  the  balconies,  through  which  we  looked 
at  the  crowded  streets  below.  Water  is  taken  to  the  houses 
in  big  barrels  mounted  on  wheels  and  drawn  by  the  tiniest 
oxen  and  bulls ;  they  are  hardly  larger  than  a  calf.  The 


12  ALONG  SHOBE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

men's  dress,  among  the  lower  class,  is  a  cotton  shirt  and 
trousers;  the  women's  dress  is  more  gay  and  decidedly  pict- 
uresque; long  trailing  gowns  of  bright-hued  cotton  goods 
cut  low-neck  and  without  sleeves,  their  hair  combed  back 
over  a  high  cushion,  and  this  exaggerated  pompadour  puff 
ornamented  with  any  number  of  natural  flowers,  put  in  ap- 
parently as  we  stick  pins  in  a  pin-cushion. 

After  dinner  we  started  for  "  Monkey  Joe's,"  his  commer- 
cial name,  and  on  the  way  passed  many  commission  houses 
that  deal  in  rubber,  nuts,  chocolate,  beans,  and  so  on.  The 
rubber  is  in  large,  round,  dark-colored  lumps,  and  most  of  it 
well  mixed  with  sand  and  small  sticks.  It  is  sewed  up  in 
burlaps  and  tin-tags  put  on  to  mark  it;  when  one  of  these 
bundles  drops  into  the  hold  of  a  ship  it  bounds  up  again  as 
if  it  were  alive.  "  Monkey  Joe "  had  no  fine  onca  skins, 
but  promised  to  get  one  soon  for  one  of  our  party.  The 
onca  is  the  native  leopard  of  South  America,  and  grows  to 
an  immense  size.  The  markings  are  beautiful,  and  the 
natives  generally  call  them  tigers.  Joe's  stock  of  live  ani- 
mals was  low;  he  had  only  a  sloth,  an  electric  eel,  and  a 
splendid  boa-constrictor.  The  latter  was  wandering  around 
at  will,  and  when  a  drunken  native  took  hold  of  its  head 
and  began  hitting  it  on  the  floor  to  wake  it  up  we  left,  but 
not  before  we  had  seen  the  Sapucaia  nut,  which  grows  in  a 
bowl-shaped  pod,  with  a  cover  that  can  be  taken  off  and 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  13 

put  on  again.  The  inside  bark  of  the  tree  is  used  to  make 
coarse  brooms  for  sweeping  streets  and  such  purposes.  We 
also  secured  some  beetles  and  tonka-beans. 

Para  is  a  growing,  busy  place,  and  is  bound  to  be  a  great 
emporium,  as  it  is  a  distributing  point  for  an  immense  in- 
terior. The  climate  is  deadly — as  bad  as  that  of  the  Isthmus — 
and  besides  fevers,  there  is  a  disease  called  beri-beri,  which 
does  not  seem  to  be  very  well  understood.  A  lady  who 
was  dying  of  it  told  me  it  was  like  creeping  paralysis. 
Para  is  a  name  given  to  the  city  by  traders,  and  it  has  now 
been  accepted  by  the  government,  but  the  original  name 
was  Belem — Bethlehem.. 


n. 

CITY  OF  MARANHAM. 

A  QUAINT  OLD  CITY  THAT  HAS  SEEN  ITS  BEST  DAYS — THE 
STREETS  AND  PLAZAS — THE  BISHOP'S  COMFORTABLE  PAL- 
ACE AND  CHARMING  GARDEN — OTHER  PLACES  OF  IN- 
TEREST. 

OFTEN  when  picking  their  way  over  piles  of  rubbish  and 
building  materials  that  so  frequently  encumber  our  streets,  I 
have  heard  people  wish  that  they  could  once  find  a  town 
that  was  finished.  They  ought  to  visit  Maranham,  which 
was  our  next  port  after  Para.  Maranham  is  finished,  and  is 
rapidly  decaying ;  the  city  was  once  large  and  thriving,  its  port 
filled  with  vessels  of  many  nations  ;  but  the  climate  and  beri-beri 
have  done  their  work ;  the  harbor  is  almost  deserted,  and 
a  melancholy  air  of  decay  and  mold  pervades  the  place.  The 
channel  is  winding,  and  as  the  pilot  wished  to  give  himself  all 
the  chances,  he  waited  until  high  tide,  which  came  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Then,  in  the  bright  moonlight,  he  took  us  in,  gradually 
approaching  a  half-ruined  old  fort  which  was  built  by  the 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  15 

Dutch  when  they  held  this  part  of  the  coast.  The  fort  is 
built  on  an  island,  and  behind  it  was  a  lovely  landlocked 
bay,  the  lights  of  the  city  gleaming  in  tiers  on  the  farther 
side,  as  the  streets  of  the  city  wandered  here  and  there  on 
the  steep  hill  side.  Early  next  morning  we  were  on  deck, 
ready  to  go  on  shore,  but  we  had  to  wait  a  few  minutes  for 
a  tropical  shower  to  pass  over.  It  poured  down  as  if  all 
the  flood-gates  were  opened,  for  a  few  minutes,  then  the 
heavy  clouds  moved  on,  the  sun  came  out,  the  boatman 
pulled  the  cover  off  his  boat,  and,  stepping  in,  we  were 
rapidly  pulled  ashore. 

We  landed  at  a  low,  old,  stone  water  battery,  with  a  few 
miserable  cannon  mounted  here  and  there,  en  barbette,  upon 
it.  From  here  we  walked  up  a  very  steep  street,  and  found 
ourselves  in  a  long,  rather  narrow  plaza,  with  four  rows  of 
palm  trees  and  some  scanty  grass  growing  in  it.  On  the  side 
next  the  bay  was  a  long,  two-storied  yellow  building  called 
the  palace.  Every  door  and  window  stood  open,  and  here  and 
there  were  officers  or  soldiers  loafing  on  the  balconies  and  at 
the  main  entrance,  smoking  cigarettes.  There  were  some  nice 
houses  on  the  other  side  of  the  plaza,  covered  with  glazed  tiles  ; 
their  gardens  full  of  flowers,  with  fountains  and  seats,  the 
latter  made  of  adobe  and  also  covered  with  glazed  tiles.  In 
front  of  the  palace  we  took  a  street-car,  drawn  by  two  tiny 
mules  scarcely  larger  than  those  at  Para,  and  they  took  us 


16  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

through  narrow  streets,  keeping  pretty  well  on  the  ridge  of 
the  hill  next  the  bay  until  we  reached  the  Plaza  Remedies. 

This  plaza  is  a  large,  long  terrace,  commanding  a  very 
beautiful  view  of  the  harbor,  with  its  shipping,  city,  and  outer 
bay.  It  is  rather  ill-kept,  but  there  were  a  good  many  fine 
palm  trees  and  a  fairly  good  statue  of  Goncalves  Diaz,  the  poet. 
Behind  the  plaza  was  the  large  stucco  palace  of  the  bishop,  and 
as  we  could  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  lovely  garden  through  a  gate, 
we  rang  the  bell  and  asked  if  we  could  see  it.  Antonio  Cudido 
da  Alnerenga,  bishop  of  Maranham,  was  not  at  home,  having 
gone  on  a  trip  into  the  interior  for  the  benefit  of  his  health ; 
but  the  young  man  in  charge,  who  seemed  to  be  all  alone  in  the 
immense  building,  said  he  would  show  us  about  with  pleasure. 

The  palace  is  built  along  two  sides  of  a  square,  the  other 
two  sides  being  enclosed  by  a  brick  wall,  thus  hiding  the 
lovely  garden  from  the  world,  except  as  you  get  a  glimpse 
through  the  gate.  The  building  is  a  story  and  a  half  in  height 
or  one  story  with  a  high  basement,  and  you  enter  by  a  long 
flight  of  steps  through  big  double  doors.  The  hall  is  a  wide, 
generous  one,  and  runs  clear  around  the  building,  one  side 
being  entirely  of  glass  to  give  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the 
garden;  the  other  side  has  numerous  doors  which  lead  into 
different  rooms.  We  were  shown  a  reception  room  and  a 
parlor,  the  furniture  in  each  being  arranged  in  the  Spanish 
style ;  that  is,  a  sofa  placed  against  the  wall,  extending  from 


ALONG  SliOBE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  17 

the  sofa  out  towards  the  center  of  the  room,  two  rows  of  chairs, 
facing  each  other,  and  in  the  center  of  the  room  a  table. 
In  the  parlor  there  were  two  arrangements  of  this  kind.  The 
sofa  is  the  seat  of  honor,  and  here  the  most  distinguished 
guest  sits  with  the  host  or  hostess.  There  were  plenty  of  em- 
broidered cushions  on  the  sofas,  and  over  one  hung  a  picture 
of  the  bishop  in  his  robes.  He  had  a  fine,  pleasing,  Spanish 
face. 

The  chapel  was  neat,  small  and  in  good  order ;  the  altar 
having  nothing  worthy  of  note  upon  it.  The  dining-room  was 
large  and  cheerful,  with  a  large  stone  terrace  outside  the 
windows,  and  from  this  terrace  one  overlooked  the  Plaza 
Remedies  and  the  lovely  view  beyond.  The  garden  was 
divided  into  two  parts  by  a  terrace,  the  upper  part  being 
filled  with  fruit  trees,  while  the  lower  was  a  mass  of  bloom — 
hibiscus,  four-o'clocks,  cypress  vine,  tea  roses,  and  chrysan- 
themums hobriobbishly,  with  the  numerous  tropical  flowers, 
making  the  place  a  delight.  The  cistern  and  bath-house 
were  of  glazed  tiles  and  the  latter  looked  so  cool  and  refreshing 
that  one  longed  for  a  dip  in  the  large  sunken  tub. 

We  took  a  car  back  to  the  street  nearest  the  market  and  then 
got  out  and  walked  down  the  very  narrow,  steep  thing  called 
a  street.  Luckily  it  was  not  wider  or  it  would  have  held  more 
dirt.  We  stepped  into  a  little  shop  and  bought  some  pretty 

colored  calabashes  of  a  queer  little  old  man,  and  in  the  market 

2 


18  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

I  was  tempted  to  buy  a  cunning  little  ring-tailed  monkey,  but 
finally  compromised  by  filling  his  paws  full  of  bananas,  and  he 
even  took  one  in  his  tail  and  longed  to  grab  more,  but  five 
were  all  he  could  hold.  There  was  very  little  fruit  on  the 
stands  and  nothing  else  at  that  time  of  the  day,  so  we  left  and 
wandered  around  the  streets,  which  were  generally  narrow  and 
very  dirty  in  spite  of  the  frequent  rains. 

The  shops  were  poor,  and  to  judge  by  the  houses,  there  is 
very  little  wealth.  We  stopped  at  a  cabinetmaker's  to  see  a 
pet  onca  kitten  and  found  him  and  his  men  making  very  pretty 
furniture  of  a  native  red  cedar,  the  odor  of  which  was  delicious. 
The  tools  used  were  of  the  clumsiest  description.  Two  men 
were  sawing  a  log  into  boards  with  a  saw  that  looked  as  if  it 
were  made  in  the  time  of  Noah.  There  was  nothing  peculiar 
about  the  dress  of  the  people,  except  the  prevalence  of  patch- 
work calico  jackets  among  the  men. 


III. 

CITY  OF  PERNAMBUCO. 

AN  ISLAND  WHOSE  INHABITANTS  ARE  CONVICTS — FUNERAL 
CUSTOMS — SUGAR  WAREHOUSES — A  BRAZILIAN  POETESS — 
THE  CUSTOM  OF  KISSING  AMONG  THE  WOMEN. 

RECIFE,  or  Pernambuco,  as  it  is  now  called,  looks  like  a  bit 
of  Holland  from  outside  the  harbor.  There  are  the  tall  houses 
with  the  steep  roofs,  several  stories  in  height,  with  big  gable 
ends,  and  finally  the  narrow  streets,  looking  like  mere  cracks. 
It  is  built  along  a  rather  straight  stretch  of  shore,  and  it  would 
be  impossible  to  have  a  city  there  were  it  not  for  nature's  help, 
in  the  shape  of  a  high  steep-to  recife,  or  reef  of  rock,  which  ex- 
tends along  in  front  of  the  city,  and,  making  a  perfect  break- 
water, leaves  a  long,  narrow,  safe  harbor.  It  is  rather  narrow 
for  all  the  shipping,  so  each  vessel  has  to  moor,  but  it  is  large 
enough,  and  a  wonderful  bit  of  natural  work.  The  part  of  the 
town  next  the  harbor  was  all  built  by  the  Dutch,  and  the 
streets  are  so  very  narrow  that  there  is  not  room  for  two 
wagons  to  pass.  There  are  street-car  lines  on  nearly  all  of 


20  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

them,  and  as  the  streets  twist  and  turn  in  all  directions  you 
are  soon  deafened  by  the  noise,  bewildered  as  to  direction,  and 
disagreeably  hustled  by  passers-by.  There  is  a  broad  river, 
which  winds  about  through  the  city,  and  this  gives  a  chance 
for  many  pretty  effects,  and  in  the  new,  or  Brazilian  part  of  the 
city,  they  are  utilized.  Many  fine  bridges  span  the  stream,  and 
gardens  run  down  to  it,  the  palace  garden  being  especially 
pretty  in  this  respect. 

We  were  invited  to  spend  the  day  at  the  home  of  a  mission- 
ary in  the  suburbs,  and  were  very  glad  to  shut  ourselves  up  in 
their  pretty  garden,  eat  sapodillas,  talk  of  Brazil,  and  forget 
all  about  the  ship.  It  was  a  long  ride  in  the  street-cars,  and  we 
obtained  a  good  idea  of  the  city.  There  was  a  fine-looking 
opera-house,  and  just  beyond  it,  while  crossing  a  bridge,  we 
saw  a  flat-boat  filled  with  convicts  bound  for  the  convict  island 
of  San  Juan  de  Naronha,  which  lies  a  short  distance  off  the 
coast.  They  were  ordinary  looking,  dark-skinned  natives,  and 
sat  quietly  in  their  seats.  After  reading  all  the  histories  of 
South  American  countries  I  can  find,  and  spending  four  years 
on  the  continent,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  native  Indian,  has  a 
good  deal  of  belief  in  Kismet.  After  a  certain  amount  of  resist- 
ance he  sits  down,  shrugs  his  shoulders,  and  submits  to  any 
amount  of  what  seems  intolerable  cruelty.  These  men  made 
me  think  of  a  herd  of  sheep,  surrounded  by  vigilant,  armed 
guards,  who  sat  upon  the  edges  of  the  boat.  I  was  told  that 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  21 

during  the  empire  a  man  would  not  be  given  a  life  sentence, 
but  was  ordered  to  San  Juan  to  await  the  pleasure  of  the  em- 
peror, and  then  the  emperor  would  forget  him. 

Next  we  saw  a  hearse  going  to  a  child's  funeral.  It  was 
white,  wheels  and  all ;  was  very  tall,  and  seemed  shaky  and 
unsteady  as  it  rattled  over  the  poor  pavements.  The  coach- 
man was  dressed  in  scarlet,  and  the  windows  of  the  hearse 
were  draped  with  thin  curtains  of  the  same  hue.  Another 
funeral  which  we  saw  was  that  of  a  much-esteemed  professor, 
and  he,  contrary  to  custom,  was  being  carried  to  church  by 
some  of  his  friends  and  followed  by  a  long  line  of  mourners  on 
foot.  These  mourners  were  all  men,  as  it  does  not  seem  to  be 
customary  in  this  country  for  women  to  attend  funerals,  or  to 
go  anywhere  else,  for  that  matter  ;  but  I  will  speak  of  this 
again. 

The  streets  in  the  new  city  are  broad,  and  there  were 
many  pretty  houses  in  the  suburbs,  surrounded  by  gardens 
filled  with  flowers  and  shaded  by  palm  and  bread-fruit  trees. 
T'he  latter  are  very  tall,  with  glossy,  large,  dark-green  leaves 
that  have  a  great  many  points  and  fruit  that  look  like  enor- 
mous button-balls  showing  here  and  there.  I  mean  by  button- 
balls  the  seed  of  the  sycamore  tree.  The  flower-gardens  in 
South  America  are  not  at  all  like  ours.  When  a  house  is 
built,  all  the  grounds  about  it  are  dug  up  and  divided  off  into 
beds,  in  which  beds  are  planted  the  trees  and  flowers.  Some- 


22  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

times  there  are  tiny  boxwood  hedges  around  each  bed,  but 
generally  not.  The  space  between  them  is  graveled  or  paved 
for  walks,  and  then  the  grounds  are  complete,  unless  a  foun- 
tain or  statues  are  added.  It  is  the  rarest  thing  that  a  blade  of 
grass  is  allowed  to  grow,  and  I  have  only  seen  one  house  that 
had  what  we  would  call  a  lawn.  Oxen  are  used  a  great  deal  to 
draw  the  long,  narrow  carts  through  the  streets,  and  the 
merchants  must  be  a  patient  lot  if  they  are  satisfied  to  await 
the  delivery  of  their  goods.  The  natives  of  the  province  make 
very  pretty  pillow-lace  that  looks  something  like  torchon,  and 
they  do  exquisite  drawn  work. 

Pernambuco  is  a  great  port  for  the  shipment  of  sugar,  and 
there  were  rows  of  storehouses  for  its  reception  while  awaiting 
shipment,  and  the  odor  of  them  was  exceedingly  disagreeable. 
We  got  some  pine-apples  here  that  are  famous  along  the  coast, 
and  they  were  very  sweet,  but  not  better  than  those  of  Toboga 
Island  near  Panama. 

When  the  final  emancipation  of  the  slaves  was  being  agitated 
the  province  of  Pernambuco  vied  with  that  of  Rio  Grande  do 
Sul  in  being  the  most  outspoken  in  favor  of  freedom.  Many 
people  of  the  province  voluntarily  emancipated  those  they  held 
in  bondage,  and  one  wealthy  man  freed  so  many  that  he  was 
ennobled  by  Isabella  when  she  was  Princess  Imperial  and 
Regent.  I  wanted  to  see  a  slave  market,  but  they  had  been 
abolished  before  we  reached  the  country. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  23 

On  the  steamer  between  Pernambuco  and  Bahin  we  made 
the  acquaintance  of  a  Brazilian  poetess.  She  was  short, 
plump,  vivacious,  and,  like  all  the  women  of  her  nation, 
exceedingly  fond  of  kissing.  Every  morning  she  would  rush 
up  and  embrace  me,  kissing  each  cheek  in  turn,  and  then 
apologize  by  saying :  "  You  know  I  am  a  Brazilian."  She 
had  a  nice  little  girl,  but  oh,  she  was  so  frail  and  delicate, 
I  fear  she  has  gone  aloft  before  now,  yet  hope  not,  for  she  was 
her  mother's  idol.  The  husband  did  not  count  for  much,  a 
neutral,  colorless  man.  This  custom  of  kissing  every  woman 
I  met  did  not  recommend  itself  to  me,  yet  it  was  necessary 
to  not  only  accept  but  practice  it.  However,  I  drew  the  line 
at  dress-makers  and  lace  women,  although  one  lace  woman 
got  ahead  of  me  by  the  suddenness  of  her  attack. 


IV. 
CITY    OF   BAHIA. 

A.KKIVAL  AT  RIO  JANEIRO,  WHICH  HAS  THE  MOST  BEAUTIFUL 
HARBOR  IN  THE  WORLD — A  PICTURESQUE  BACKGROUND 
OF  MOUNTAINS — SCENES  AT  THE  CUSTOM  HOUSE. 

OUR  next  port  was  San  Salvador  en  Bahia  de  todos  los 
Santos,  or  Bahia  Bay,  as  it  is  generally  called.  It  is  built 
on  one  side  of  a  beautiful  bay,  with  lovely  islands  in  it,  and 
consists  of  the  lower  and  upper  town.  The  lower  is  very 
long  and  narrow,  nestling  between  the  bay  and  a  steep  cliff ; 
it  consists  of  three  or  four  streets,  used  principally,  with  the 
exception  of  the  market,  by  large  merchants  who  have  their 
storehouses  there.  The  main  part  of  the  city  is  built  on  top 
of  the  bluff,  and  extends  way  out  into  the  country.  We  went 
ashore  as  early  as  possible  so  as  to  see  the  market,  and  when 
we  first  landed  we  seemed  to  have  stepped  into  fairyland. 
Great  African  negresses,  some  of  them  with  tatooed  faces, 
sat  guarding  piles  of  luscious  fruit,  their  large  forms  draped 
in  white  cotton  gowns  cut  low  in  the  neck.  Tney  all  wore 
necklaces,  bracelets,  and  ear-rings,  and  here  and  there  was  a 
turban.  Lounging  about  were  their  mates,  who  are  much  val- 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  25 

ued  as  porters.  They  are  all  of  pure  African  blood,  and  keep 
to  themselves,  disdaining  alliance  with  any  other  race.  The 
oranges  these  woman  sold  us  are  the  finest  in  the  world ;  you 
eat  none  like  them  anywhere  else.  They  will  average  a 
pound  in  weight ;  the  rind  is  soft  and  brittle,  which  prevents 
their  transportation — the  juice  is  very  sweet  and  high-flavored  ; 
they  are  also  seedless.  They  are  the  navel  orange,  and  those 
of  Florida  are  a  poor  offspring  of  plants  from  Bahia  ;  it  needs 
its  climate,  soil,  and  sunny  slopes  to  produce  the  perfect 
fruit.  There  were  piles  of  lemons,  limes,  pine-apples,  sapo- 
dillas,  bananas ;  vegetables  of  many  kinds ;  coops  of  chickens 
and  doves ;  stalls  of  native  pottery,  red,  with  white  ornamenta- 
tion ;  piles  of  cages  with  small  birds  ;  rows  of  parrots,  cocka- 
toos, big  blue  and  red  macaws  ;  numberless  monkeys,  from  the 
tiny  little  marmosets  to  big  ring-tails — prehensile  tails  ;  quan- 
tities of  wicker-work ;  kiosks  where  coffee,  and  a  number 
of  drinks  made  from  different  fruits  were  sold ;  in  short, 
a  tropical  market. 

We  stayed  there  some  time  and  then  took  an  elevator  at  the 
base  of  the  bluff  and  were  hoisted  by  steam  to  the  top.  Here 
we  found  the  usual  Brazilian  city,  and  we  rode  all  about  it, 
finally  alighting  at  the  public  gardens,  which  have  been  beauti- 
ful, but  now  are  much  neglected.  There  were  some  beautiful 
mango  and  palm  trees  and  what  had  been  a  fine  lot  of  flower 
beds,  but  the  ants  had  gotten  at  them  and  not  much  remained. 


26  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

There  was  a  rather  plain  monument  to  the  regent  John,  and 
the  remains  of  a  large  tiled  terrace  just  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff, 
with  broken  statues  and  tiled  seats.  From  here  we  had  a 
lovely  view  of  the  curving  bay,  with  its  green  shores,  blue 
waters,  and  many  vessels  riding  quietly  at  anchor,  the  whole 
scene  illuminated  by  the  brilliant  sun.  Next  the  terrace  was 
the  fort  of  St.  George.  We  heard  drums  rolling,  and  a 
brilliant  looking  officer  on  a  white  horse  came  out  and  rode 
away.  We  visited  a  diamond  merchant  and  saw  some  beautiful 
gems  from  the  adjacent  mines,  cut  and  uncut.  This  is  also  a 
great  city  for  the  manufacture  of  feather-flowers ;  they  are 
carefully  made  and  are  beautiful,  because  the  birds  of  Brazil 
furnish  feathers  of  all  colors  and  shades,  as  nature  can  be 
copied  very  closely  in  unfading  tints.  Bundles  are  carried  on 
the  head,  regardless  of  the  size.  One  sees  a  woman  stalking 
along  with  a  tiny  bundle  poised  on  high,  another  with  a 
large  basket  of  oranges,  carrying  it  with  apparently  the  same 
ease ;  but  when  six  men  get  a  piano  on  their  heads  they 
move  slowly,  and  are  careful  to  keep  step. 

Early  one  morning  we  were  awakened  by  a  loud  knocking 
at  the  stateroom  door,  and  a  voice  announced  that  the  captain 
sent  his  compliments,  and  we  were  to  come  up  on  the  bridge 
as  soon  as  possible,  for  we  were  very  near  Rio.  It  was  pitch 
dark,  but  we  scrambled  into  our  clothes  and  reached  the 
pilot-house  just  as  the  day  was  breaking.  To  our  left  we 


ALONG  SHOES  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  27 

could  see  a  low  island  with  a  light-house  on  it,  the  light 
burning  brightly,  and  to  the  right  the  islands  of  Mai  and  Pai, 
while  in  front  of  us  rose  ranges  of  high  towering  mountains, 
seemingly  an  impenetrable  mass.  However,  as  the  day  grew 
brighter,  we  saw  a  broad,  clean-cut  opening  in  the  nearest 
chain,  and  this  was  the  entrance  to  the  most  beautiful  harbor 

0 

in  the  world.  The  mountains  to  the  left  of  the  entrance 
gradually  assumed  the  form  of  a  giant  lying  on  his  back, 
the  face  and  feet  being  especially  plain.  Gradually  the  sun 
began  to  appear,  and  then  we  were  near  enough  to  see  the 
beautiful,  waving  palms  standing  out  from  the  masses  of 
brilliant  green  foliage  that  covered  each  and  every  mountain 
from  its  base  to  its  summit.  Here  and  there  a  white  house 
caught  the  light  and  shone  like  a  gem.  In  the  distance 
were  ranges  of  mountains,  some  gray  where  they  lay  in  the 
shadow,  some  pink  where  the  sun  had  reached  them,  varied 
in  shape,  graceful  in  outline,  covered  with  magnificent 
growths.  The  mountains  about  Rio  stand  unequaled,  unsur- 
passed. The  water  was  blue  as  a  sapphire,  and  as  we  plowed 
our  way  through  it  up  the  bay,  we  first  saw  a  fort,  then,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  bay,  Botofoga,  with  its  white  and  yellow 
houses  clustered  about  it,  and  from  there,  for  miles  stretching 
along  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  following  each  bend  of  the 
slope,  built  over  the  foothills,  and  even  extending  up  on  to  the 
nearest  mountains,  was  the  beautiful  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 


28  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE. 

or  Saint  Sebastian,  as  it  was  formerly  called.  The  beautiful 
blue  waters,  the  curves  and  bends  of  the  shore,  followed  by 
the  beautiful  city,  the  low  hills  covered  with  gleaming  white 
houses,  churches,  and  gardens,  the  background  of  beautiful 
mountains  that  stretch  north,  south,  and  west  and  sweep 
around  the  bay,  and  the  blue  sky  over  all,  made  a  picture 
that,  once  seen,  you  could  never  forget. 

Did  you  ever  cherish  a  dream  for  years  and  suddenly  wake 
to  find  it  realized  ?  Well,  I  had  dreamed  of  the  tropics  and 
eagerly  read  all  I  could  find  about  them,  until  my  mind  was 
filled  with  dreams  of  waving  palms,  luxuriant  strange  growths, 
forests  where  every  tree  was  strange,  where  creepers  twined 
and  twisted  about,  and  the  great  brilliant  orchid  flowers  vied 
with  the  butterflies.  Then  I  went  to  the  tropics,  and  dis- 
appointment met  me  on  every  side,  even  on  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  and  I  felt  my  dream  was  but  a  dream,  never  to  be 
realized.  When,  lo !  I  enter  the  harbor  of  Rio,  and  all  I 
asked  and  more  lies  before  me,  and  one  can  never  be  dis- 
appointed, disenchanted,  for  at  the  end  of  the  dirtiest,  narrowest 
street  there  is  always  a  vista  of  lovely  mountains  that  is  fine 
enough  to  lift  you  above  the  dirt  and  bad  odors.  However, 
the  city  is  an  unusually  clean  one,  and  the  narrow  streets 
are  not  by  any  means  as  numerous  as  the  wide  ones.  We 
steamed  past  the  man-of-war  anchorage  and  slowed  down  off 
the  custom-house,  while  the  immense  mail  we  carried  was 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  29 

dropped  over  the  side,  and  then  we  proceeded  011  our  way  up 
to  our  own  anchorage  off  the  old  part  of  the  city.  A  launch 
was  sent  for  us,  and  taking  a  boat  in  tow,  which  held  our 
baggage,  we  were  soon  at  the  custom-house  wharf,  and  were 
welcomed  by  the  officials  with  bows,  and  handed  chairs  to 
occupy  until  the  trunks  arrived.  The  first  thing  I  noticed  was 
the  number  of  men  going  about  with  their  jaws  tied  up  and 
plaid  shawls  over  their  shoulders.  I  afterwards  saw  a  great 
many  in  the  same  rig,  but  never  could  find  out  what  was  the 
matter  with  them.  They  were  as  grave,  solemn,  and  polite 
as  the  other  people,  yet  you  had  to  control  your  desire  to 
smile  audibly  as  one  after  another  struck  your  eye.  When  the 
trunks  came  we  were  requested,  with  many  bows,  to  be  good 
enough  to  unlock  them,  and  here  we  began  to  practice  the 
system  of  bowing  that  is  prevalent  all  over  this  continent.  No 
matter  what  trouble  you  put  a  person  to  if  you  smile  and  bow, 
and  say,  thank  you,  just  before  leaving,  they  count  all  their 
trouble  as  nothing.  We  were  bowed  to  and  thanked  for 
unlocking  the  trunks.  Each  tray  was  lifted  out  and  imme- 
diately put  back  and  the  trunks  locked.  There  were  many 
apologies  for  the  trouble  they  had  given  us,  and  we  were 
profuse  with  our  assertions  that  we  had  not  been  inconven- 
ienced. Everybody  bowed  and  bowed,  and  we  walked  out  with 
a  gentleman  from  the  steamship  company  who  had  been  sent 
to  see  us  safe  at  our  hotel. 


V. 
RIO  DE    JANEIRO. 

THE  SUBURBS  OF  THE  CAPITAL — BY  CABLE  ROAD  TO  THE 
RESERVOIRS  THAT  SUPPLY  THE  CITY — COMFORTS  OF  A 
BRAZILIAN  HOTEL — ASCENT  OF  THE  CORCOVADO — WON- 
DERFUL LAND  AND  SEA  VIEWS. 

TBERE  is  one  especially  beautiful  walk  in  the  suburbs  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  which  is  known  as  Santa  Teresa,  and  we  were  soon 
introduced  to  it  by  our  friends.  Leaving  a  street-car,  or  bonde, 
as  they  are  called  there,  in  a  narrow  street,  one  enters  quite  a 
good-sized  station,  placed  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  mountains, 
and  finds  a  cable-car  waiting.  The  platform  inclines  steeply, 
while  one  end  of  the  car  is  much  lower  than  the  other.  The 
track  seems  to  go  straight  up  a  precipice,  and  is  built  on  a 
jutting  ledge  or  spur,  the  cable  being  worked  from  the  top. 
The  track  is  about  1,000  yards  long,  and  as  the  car  went  up 
there  were  lovely  views  of  the  city,  bay,  and  mountains  to 
enjoy. 

Nictherog,  a  small  city  across  the  bay,  looked  especially 
pretty,  all  its  houses  white  in  the  dazzling  sunshine.  Steep 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  81 

banks  came  close  up  to  the  track  on  either  side,  but  they 
were  not  too  steep  to  be  clothed  with  shrubs  and  trees,  and 
the  coffee  trees  had  berries  which  then  were  bright  and  red, 
all  ready  to  eat ;  the  pulp  around  the  seeds  tasting  slightly 
sweet  and  not  unpleasant,  but  still  a  long  way  from  our 
cherries  that  they  are  likened  to. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  railway,  we  take  a  bonde, 
drawn  by  four  mules,  which  stands  waiting,  and  is  dragged 
still  further  up,  but  here  the  road  is  laid  out  on  a  sort  of 
natural  terrace,  with  houses  and  villas  on  either  side,  some 
of  them  boasting  lovely  gardens,  and  all  commanding  a 
superb  view  of  part  of  the  city,  the  upper  part  of  the  bay, 
ranges  of  lofty  mountains,  and  beautiful  valleys  over  which 
clouds  are  always  floating,  casting  wonderful  shadows.  One 
rich  valley  lies  just  beneath  them,  and  one  would  fancy  the 
happy  dwellers  on  these  heights  would  spend  all  their  lives 
gazing  on  the  perfect  scene  with  never-ending  delight.  The 
mules  dash  through  a  little  town  and  come  to  a  halt  at  the 
beginning  of  a  broad  forest  road,  so  well  kept  that  it  is 
daily  swept  with  brooms  in  addition  to  other  attentions. 

A  few  steps  away  is  the  lower  reservoir  for  supplying  the 
city,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  pretty  little  garden  full  of 
flowers.  Benches  are  placed  where  they  command  the  grand 
view,  and  in  one  corner  is  a  nice  little  house  for  the  attend- 
ants. There  are  five  tanks,  but  one  is  emptied  each  day  to 


32  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAIL 

clean  it  out,  so  only  four  were  filled  with  water,  which  was 
so  clear,  bright,  and  sparkling  that  one  doubly  enjoyed 
drinking  it  while  in  the  city  after  visiting  the  reservoir. 
On  the  left  of  the  broad  road  is  the  aqueduct,  built  by  the 
Jesuits  in  1746,  and  it  is  still  the  source  of  water  supply 
for  the  city,  trying  as  best  it  can  to  keep  pace  with  the 
growing  burg,  in  which  it  succeeds  pretty  well.  It  is  built 
of  adobe  as  strong  as  stone,  and  is  generally  about  five  feet 
high.  Two  cemented  ducts  are  on  the  bottom  of  the  inside, 
one  always  in  use,  and  the  other  kept  ready  in  case  of  an 
accident.  The  roof  is  ridge-shaped,  with  dormers  facing  the 
road.  Every  few  feet,  in  the  front  of  each  of  these  dormers, 
is  a  small  iron  grating,  and  by.  putting  one's  ear  close  to 
any  one  of  them  the  water  can  be  heard  running  along  inside. 

The  road  follows  the  aqueduct  and  the  ridge  of  the 
mountain  until  it  melts  into  another  grander  mountain.  It 
lies  in  the  forest  its  entire  length ;  coffee  and  numberless 
other  lovely  shrubs  growing  in  greatest  profusion  on  either 
side,  while  closer  to  the  earth  were  delicate  ferns  and  pretty, 
strange,  wild  flowers ;  the  whole  shaded  by  tall  palms  and 
trees  that  had  nothing  familiar  about  them,  some  even  hav- 
ing three-cornered  trunks.  The  trunks  and  branches — enough 
of  the  latter  reaching  out  to  arch  in  the  road — were  dotted 
every  here  and  there  with  orchids,  plants  that  flourish  here 
on  the  rich  moist  air  and  have  strange  bright  blossoms. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  33 

From  tree  branch  to  tree  branch  hung  hundreds  of  vines, 
some  of  them  large,  some  small,  but  all  lithe  and  graceful, 
with  every  here  and  there  the  trunk  of  a  tree  half  smothered 
in  their  embrace. 

One  can  pass  hours  in  this  enchanting  forest,  gazing  here 
and  there,  always  discovering  some  new  tree,  plant,  or  other 
growth  that  had  hitherto  escaped  notice  ;  and  as  one  passes 
along  the  road  where  it  winds  slowly  up  the  other  mountain, 
glimpses  are  had  of  the  most  beautiful  views,  ever  changing, 
ever  glorious.  No  one  can  describe  them,  for  words  fail ;  but 
how  we  enjoyed  them,  and  how  often  we  returned  to  feast  our 
eyes  and  tried  to  impress  upon  our  memories  their  beauty,  even 
taking  a  last  walk  in  the  rain  rather  than  miss  it ! 

Set  close  against  the  steep  side  of  a  cleft  in  the  larger  mount- 
ain is  the  upper  reservoir,  having  the  same  arrangement  of 
tanks  and  the  same  beautiful  water  to  fill  them,  only,  instead  of 
the  water  entering  by  an  unseen  pipe,  it  literally  comes  tum- 
bling down  from  cloudland  in  tinj*  rushing  streams,  which  are 
filled  each  day  by  showers  from  the  clouds  that  strike  the 
mountain  sides  or  gather  about  its  head  and  fall  in  gentle  rain. 
Close  by  a  steep  narrow  path  leads  down  into  Larangeiras,  or 
Orange  Valley,  which  is  long,  narrow,  and  filled  with  pretty 
houses  and  villas,  while  the  bonde  line  that  runs  through  it 
passes  most  of  the  hotels,  which  reminds  me  of  our  hotel,  said 

to  be  one  of  the  best,  arid,  judging  by  all  we  saw,  it  was. 

3 


34  ALONG  SUOEE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

It  was  two-storied,  with  a  large  entrance  hall.  A  small 
office  on  the  left,  and  on  the  right  the  big  low-ceiled  dining- 
room,  where  we  enjoyed  fresh  shrimps  and  other  dainties,  sur- 
rounded by  palms  in  pots,  feeding  two  or  three  tame  mice  that 
came  regularly  to  beg,  and  watching  the  natives, — their  table 
manners  being  very  good.  There  was  a  large  patio  behind  the 
hall,  filled  with  trees,  roses,  and  plants,  and  around  this  patio, 
on  the  upper  floor,  ran  a  balcony  closed  in  with  blinds.  Be- 
tween this  balcony  and  the  street  were  most  of  the  rooms,  some 
large,  some  small,  but  the  ceiling  of  all  about  fourteen  feet 
high.  The  floors  were  bare,  the  furniture  good,  but  none  of  it 
matched  the  bedstead,  guiltless  of  springs,  while  the  pillows 
were  stuffed  with  a  sort  of  cotton  gathered  from  trees,  which 
made  them  so  hard  that  your  ears  ached  in  the  morning.  The 
windows  all  opened  to  the  floor,  each  of  those  on  the  street 
having  a  little  balcony.  There  were  wooden  shutters  to  them, 
but  no  frames  with  glass.  It  was  always  too  warm  to  shut 
your  room  up,  and  the  rain  seldom  beat  in ;  it  just  fell  straight 
down  and  soon  ceased.  The  doors  had  shutters  in  them  to 
give  better  ventilation,  while  everything  was  neat  and  clean. 

Among  the  many  beautiful  mountains  that  encircle  the  bay 
and  city,  two  seem  to  stand  out  prominently,  and,  catching  the 
eye  day  after  day,  claim  your  attention.  Both  are  peculiar  in 
shape,  and  their  names  are  descriptive.  First  comes  Pan  de 
Azucar,  or  Sugar-loaf,  its  great  gray  cone  of  rock  sticking  up 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  85 

smooth  and  pointed,  like  an  old-time  sugar-loaf  after  the  "wrap- 
ping of  indigo  paper  was  removed.  Its  precipitous  sides  are 
so  difficult  to  scale  that  only  hair-brained  people  attempt  it. 
Others  are  satisfied  to  admire  from  a  distance  and  enjoy  the 
contrast  the  bare  rock  makes  with  the  tropical  forest  of  the 
surrounding  peaks.  The  other  was  Corcovado,  or  the  Hunch- 
back, which  bade  us  good-morning  every  day  when  we  opened 
our  windows.  On  the  summit  is  what  looks  from  below  like  a 
tiny  open  building,  with  a  pagoda-shaped  roof.  Near  the  sum- 
mit was  a  terrace,  along  which  we  sometimes  saw  a  short  train 
of  cars  making  its  way. 

The  city  station  for  this  railway  is  near  the  upper  end  of 
Larangieras  Valley,  a  nice  little  building  with  a  pretty  garden 
in  front.  The  trains,  which  run  up  and  down  several  times  a 
day,  consist  of  an  engine  and  a  windowless  car,  with  seats  run- 
ning across  it.  The  track  has  three  rails,  the  outer  ones  smooth 
and  the  inner  one  cogged.  The  trains  run  very  slowly  and  the 
slight  jar  that  the  cog-wheel  makes  fitting  into  the  center  rail 
is  very  disagreeable.  Otherwise  the  ride  is  a  delight.  There 
are  two  stations,  and  at  the  first  one,  named  Sylvester,  the  cars 
stop  on  such  a  steep  incline  that  there  are  slats  nailed  on  the 
station  platform  to  keep  passengers  from  slipping  as  they  walk 
along  it. 

The  second  station,  near  the  summit,  is  called  Peinares. 
Here  there  is  a  small  hotel,  with  a  pretty  garden  and  a 


36  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

shooting  gallery.  It  takes  an  hour  to  make  the  trip  up, 
the  grade  being  sometimes  nearly  45  degrees,  and  the  sum- 
mit 2,300  feet  above  the  sea.  Naturally,  the  train  goes 
slowly,  but  it  is  not  half  slow  enough;  one  would  like  to 
crawl  through  these  beautiful  forests,  so  as  to  see  more  of 
their  beauties  and  wonders ;  the  beautiful,  strange  trees, 
some  of  immense  height  and  girth,  some  a  mass  of  blos- 
soms; foliage  of  all  shades  of  green,  from  silver  white, 
like  our  poplars,  to  the  glossy  blue-green  of  the  magnolia 
grandiflora.  The  trunks  are  round,  triangular,  small,  large, 
straight  and  smooth,  crooked  and  gnarled;  here,  so  close 
together  that  they  twine  around  one  another ;  there,  far 
apart;  some  have  every  branch  half  covered  with  orchids  of 
many  varieties,  while  others  are  draped  with  Spanish  moss 
or  are  clean  as  if  polished.  There  are  gorgeous  blossoms  on 
the  orchids,  and  some  of  the  vines  boast  lovely  ones,  too. 

These  vines  are  quite  a  feature  of  the  forest.  They  are 
so  numerous  and  so  graceful ;  one  enterprising  cabinetmaker 
in  the  city  collected  pieces  of  over  100  varieties,  and  polish- 
ing the  cut  ends,  made  mosaic  tops  for  two  tables.  One  he 
presented  to  the  emperor,  and  he  keeps  the  other  in  his 
show-room.  It  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  work,  some  of  the 
vines  showing  different  colors  in  their  stems  and  odd  growths. 
The  floor  of  the  forest  is  carpeted  with  green  plants,  espe- 
cially ferns,  in  the  greatest  variety,  from  the  delicate  pale 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  37 

green,  tiny  leaves  on  hair-like  stems  to  the  grand  tree-fern 
with  a  great  whorl  of  delicate  leaves,  six  and  seven  feet  long, 
springing  from  the  soft  brown  trunk,  which  sometimes  grows 
to  a  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet. 

There  are  glorious  views  of  mountains,  valleys,  and  bays 
through  the  trees,  so,  when  the  train  stops,  just  below  the 
summit,  every  one  eagerly  hurries  up  the  few  remaining  feet, 
anxious  to  reach  the  little  house  and  have  an  uninterrupted 
view.  When  the  house  is  reached  it  proves  to  be  a  large 
circular  iron  pavilion,  built  by  the  railway  company  for  a 
restaurant,  but  it  did  not  pay  and  has  been  abandoned. 
Custom  was  too  irregular,  as,  on  days  when  Corcovado  is 
partly  or  entirely  hidden  by  clouds,  of  course  no  one  ascends 
to  get  the  view,  and  cloudy  days  at  the  summit  are  very 
numerous.  A  few  feet  below  the  building  a  point  of  rock 
juts  toward  the  sea  on  the  precipitous  side  of  the  mountain. 
It  is  protected  by  an  adobe  wall,  and  from  here  one  gets  the 
view  he  has  come  so  far  for. 

To  the  east,  away  down  below,  close  to  the  base,  lay  part 
of  the  city  and  the  botanical  gardens ;  farther  out,  the  har- 
J)or's  mouth,  with  its  two  ends  of  the  inner  circle  of  mount- 
ains, some  green  islands  outside,  one  with  a  light-house  on 
it ;  and  then  the  blue  sea,  stretching  away  to  the  horizon ; 
to  the  north  the  main  part  of  the  city,  the  long,  narrow 
part  of  the  harbor,  which  was  mistaken  for  a  river  by  the 


38  ALONG  SHORE  WIT II  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

first  discoverers  and  called  January  River — Rio  de  Janeiro — 
the  islands  in  it  and  the  town  of  Nictheroy  on  the  farther 
side  ;  to  the  west  a  range  of  mountains,  close  at  hand,  hid 
all  but  the  peaks  of  the  far-off  ranges  and  their  own  lovely 
woods ;  to  the  south  the  ranges  of  mountains  extending  down 
the  coast,  some  outlying  islands,  and  the  sea. 

We  gazed  untired  until  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  engine 
called  us  back  to  the  train,  which  went  down  slowly  until 
it  reached  Peinares.  Here  it  waits  for  the  train  coming  up, 
and  gives  time  for  a  cup  of  coffee  in  the  pretty  garden,  a 
good  long  look  at  the  eastern  view,  and  a  stroll  along  a  road 
in  the  forest,  by  the  side  of  which  grew  wild,  double  wMte 
roses  and  ferns  in  profusion.  I  wonder  why  it  is  that  people 
who  have  been  to  Rio  always  rave  over  the  botanical  gardens, 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  natural  beauties.  Is  it  because 
those  avenues  of  palms  make  such  beautiful  photographs  ? 
It  is  a  lovely  spot,  with  stretches  of  greensward,  rare  trees, 
plants,  and  orchids.  It  is  set  close  at  the  foot  of  a  mount- 
ain, and  the  gardeners  wage  eternal  warfare  against  the 
forest  to  keep  it  from  encroaching.  There  are  walks  shaded 
by  bamboo  hedges,  that  meet  in  a  graceful  arch  overhead, 
and  then  there  are  those  three  royal  avenues  of  royal  palms, 
straight  and  tall,  each  silvery  white  trunk  rising  from  its 
bed  of  green  sod,  its  graceful  tuft  of  leaves,  like  long 
uncurled  ostrich  plumes,  moving  softly  in  the  breeze.  They 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  39 

are  wonderfully  beautiful  after  one  has  learned  to  appre- 
ciate palms,  and  forgotten  that  Mark  Twain  said  a  palm 
tree  looked  like  an  umbrella  struck  by  lightning — and  here 
one  is  introduced  to  them  in  a  striking  manner,  for,  after 
leaving  the  bonde,  we  enter  at  a  large,  fine  gateway  and 
straight  before  us  is  the  main  avenue.  To  the  right  and 
left  stretch  the  two  side  avenues,  making  a  letter  T.  There 
were  numbers  of  butterflies  flitting  about,  but  no  flowers, 
at  least  but  a  few,  and  how  one  misses  them !  To  a  bota- 
nist or  forest  student  the  place  would  be  entrancing,  but  as 
an  ordinary  traveler,  who  enjoys  best  what  suits  his  indi- 
vidual fancy,  I  prefer  the  wild  forest. 


VI. 

RIO  DE  JANEIRO. 

IT  IS  A  CLEANLY  CITY,  TOO — PECULIARITIES  OF  ITS  HORSE- 
CAR  SYSTEM — STREET  VENDORS  AND  HOW  THEY  CRY 
THEIR  WARES — THE  POLICEMAN'S  WAR-WHOOP  AND 
WHAT  IT  MEANS. 

LIKE  an  undulating,  curving  ribbon  of  white  jewels, 
between  the  emerald  green  of  the  forest-covered  mountains 
and  the  deep  blue  waters  of  the  bay,  lies  the  city  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  Surely  never  had  a  city  so  lovely  a  site  before  ;  the 
glorious  sweep  of  magnificent  mountains  around  its  bay,  with 
farther  ranges  showing  behind  them,  until  the  pipe-like  peaks 
of  the  Organ  range  show  blue  and  shadowy  in  the  far  distance. 
Everywhere  that  your  eye  turns,  whether  you  are  on  the  blue 
bay  or  ashore,  a  lovely  picture  of  mountains,  forest,  blue 
waters,  and  gleaming  white  houses  greets  you.  And  the 
forests  that  cover  these  mountains!  They  are  ideal ;  not  only 
because  of  their  beauties,  their  strangeness,  and  rich  coloring, 
but  also  because  of  their  accessibility  ;  because  one  can  walk 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  41 

about  in  them,  enjoy  the  trees,  flowers,  ferns,  and  numberless 
strange  growths,  as  well  as  those  that  are  familiar  to  us,  and 
bring  a  breath  of  homesickness  with  their  forms,  reminding 
us  of  the  distance  we  have  come  and  the  time  of  exile  before 
us.  Happiest  when  warmest,  I  have  always  longed  for  and 
dreamed  of  the  tropics,  but  I  never  found  the  ideal  tropics 
until  we  arrived  in  Rio.  No  wonder  that  imperialism  lingered 
there ;  its  last  stronghold  on  this  continent.  Nowhere  else 
had  it  such  a  city,  such  a  crown  of  mountains,  and  such  a 
convenient  harbor  to  sail  from  when  the  day  of  reckoning 
came. 

Our  first  evening  ashore  was  spent  in  the  large  fine  theater 
of  Dom  Pedro  II.,  listening  to  "  Hamlet "  given  by  an  excellent 
Italian  dramatic  troupe. 

I  was  surprised  at  the  cleanliness  of  the  city.  It  may  not 
be  properly  sewered,  but  it  is  clean,  and  a  great  many  of  the 
streets  are  wide.  All  are  well  paved,  with  good  sidewalks, 
and  there  is  a  most  excellent  street  car  service.  There  are 
three  kinds  of  street  cars — the  open  ones,  nicely  painted 
and  appointed,  in  which  one  pays  ten  cents  for  a  ride,  and 
must  have  shoes  and  stockings  on.  The  second-class  or  bare- 
foot cars,  which  are  closed,  have  a  tariff  of  five  cents  for  a  ride. 
These  cars  run  on  regular  routes  and  follow  the  rails  laid 
down  in  the  streets.  The  horses  and  mules  are  good,  and 
there  are  enough  of  them  to  draw  the  cars,  so  it  is  not  necessary 


42  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

for  the  drivers  to  beat  them,  and  the  company  does  not  allow 
the  men  to  have  whips.  Crowding  is  not  allowed,  and 
when  a  car  is  full,  it  will  not  stop  for  any  one.  The  third 
class  is  a  kind  of  open  car  mounted  on  big  wheels,  and  they 
all  seem  to  start  from  the  large  market  down  on  the  wharves 
at  one  side  of  the  Praca  da  Marinhas.  They  have  a  destination 
which  is  announced  on  a  little  board  which  the  conductor 
hangs  on  to  the  roof  before  starting.  They  also  seem  to 
have  regular  routes,  but  leave  them  at  the  request  of  any 
passenger.  These  carry  the  lowest  classes,  chiefly  slaves  and 
street  vendors  with  their  heavy  packages  or  baskets. 

These  street  vendors  are  a  great  institution,  and  I  suppose 
the  street  traffic  grew  up  when  women  were  so  strictly  con- 
fined to  their  houses,  and  now  these  peddlers  are  almost 
entirely  depended  upon  for  household  supplies.  It  is  quite 
the  proper  thing  to  hang  out  of  the  window  or  lean  over  the 
edge  of  your  balcony  all  the  afternoon  to  watch  the  passers-by. 
We  took  to  it  most  kindly,  and  as  strangers  took  a  certain 
amount  of  latitude  and  spent  nearly  all  day  on  our  balconies, 
enjoying  the  soft,  warm  air,  the  view  of  Corcovado  mountain 
and  life  in  the  streets. 

When  merchandise  is  carried  in  baskets  they  are  hung  by 
ropes  to  either  end  of  a  pole,  and  the  pole  balanced  on  one 
shoulder.  Meat  is  carried  either  in  these  or  on  a  shallow  tray, 
fish  in  baskets,  and  vegetables  the  same.  The  different  sized 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  43 

fisli  are  put  in  different  sized  baskets,  and  these  are  piled  on 
top  of  one  another  in  two  piles  before  being  attached  to  the 
pole.  The  largest  fish  are  in  the  top  basket,  and  I  often 
watched  a  vendor  separate  his  baskets  until  he  reached  the 
bottom  one,  where  the  fish  were  scarcely  more  than  minnows, 
to  sell  some  to  an  old  man  who  had  a  shop  opposite  to  our 
hotel  and  bought  fresh  fish  every  morning  for  his  two  pet 
cats.  It  was  great  fun  to  watch  him  do  his  morning  marketing. 
Such  a  fuss  as  he  and  the  vendor  would  make  over  the 
purchase  of  a  bunch  of  turnips,  a  few  red  peppers,  or  some  tiny 
tomatoes.  They  would  argue,  quarrel,  scream,  and  pull  the 
contents  of  the  baskets  all  about.  He  would  run  down  every- 
thing the  man  had  and  the  man  praise  everything,  until  finally 
a  bargain  would  be  struck  and  the  money,  which  seldom 
amounted  to  more  than  a  few  cents,  handed  over.  He  spent 
quite  as  much  on  his  cats  as  on  himself.  Chickens  are  carried 
in  covered  baskets,  and  so  are  pigeons,  while  turkeys  are  driven 
in  droves  by  one  or  two  boys,  armed  with  light  bamboo  sticks. 
Each  peddler  has  his  own  peculiar  cry,  so  that  one  could 
tell  what  was  being  carried  past  without  going  to  the  window. 
There  is  the  tin  man,  who  strikes  an  iron  spoon  against  a 
small  tin  basin  as  he  walks,  and  the  soap  man,  who  raps  the 
side  of  a  box  that  he  carries  on  his  head  with  a  stick  and  calls 
out,  "  Soap !  Soap  ! "  The  dry-goods  men  have  their  wares 
in  small  tin  trunks  that  are  painted  bright  colors. 


44  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Sometimes  they  carry  three  and  even  four  of  them  on  their 
backs,  bending  almost  double  beneath  the  weight.  If  well  to 
do  they  have  a  slave  to  carry  their  trunks — or  at  least  used  to 
— and  walk  ahead  of  him,  calling  attention  by  slapping  a 
jointed  yard-stick  together  at  every  step.  Cobblers  go  about 
and  collect  shoes  that  need  mending,  stringing  them  all  on 
a  piece  of  twine,  and,  after  a  few  days,  they  bring  them  back  in 
good  order. 

Negroes  pass  along  with  trays  balanced  on  their  heads 
which  are  rilled  with  candy  done  up  in  tissue  paper  of  differ- 
ent colors.  This  candy  is  made  in  private  houses — often  by 
the  ladies — and  the  negroes  must  bring  back  a  certain  amount 
of  money  for  each  piece  sold.  Whatever  they  make  over  that 
they  are  allowed  to  retain.  It  is  generally  in  the  form  of  yel- 
low transparent  balls  that  have  no  especial  flavor  and  are 
warranted  to  last  a  long  while,  as  biting  them  is  impossible. 
These  balls  are  all  the  candy  one  can  get  in  the  city  except 
stale  imported  French  candied  fruits. 

Instead  of  milk  wagons  cows  are  driven  about  the  streets, 
each  cow  having  a  muzzled  calf  tied  to  her  tail  and  a  bell  tied 
to  her  neck.  This  latter  announces  her  approach  and  brings 
the  servants  to  the  doors  and  gates  with  bowls  or  pitchers, 
and  one  little  French  baby,  that  lived  near  us,  always  came 
out  to  see  his  cow  and  say  good-morning  to  her.  Slippers 
which  are  far  too  narrow  and  about  half  the  length  of  the  foot 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  45 

take  the  place  of  shoes  with  the  lower  and  middle  classes. 
There  is  no  heel  piece,  and  consequently  at  every  step  the 
heel  of  the  slipper  taps  the  sidewalk,  and  this  noise,  while  slight, 
is  so  continuous  that  the  ear  marks  it  and  it  soon  becomes 
one  of  the  familiar  sounds  that  one  grows  accustomed  to. 

As  a  startling  diversion,  at  times,  there  comes  an  unearthly 
yell  from  the  policeman  on  guard  outside  the  station.  At 
first  we  took  it  for  the  announcement  of  a  discovered  murder, 
but  it  proved  to  be  a  simple  request  to  be  relieved — a  vocal 
statement  that  his  time  was  up  and  he  was  tired  of  trudging 
up  and  down  with  a  heavy  gun  and  bayonet.  A  few  moments 
after  the  war-whoop  sounded  another  policeman  would  saunter 
out,  take  a  musket  from  the  rack  near  the  door  and  take  the 
place  of  number  one.  A  different  scream  turned  the  guard 
out  when  any  cabinet  officer  passed.  The  cabinet  officers 
were  always  to  be  told  by  two  mounted  orderlies  that  fol- 
lowed the  carriage  of  each  one. 

Mules  are  quite  as  much  used  as  horses ;  they  look  quite 
nice  and  seem  to  have  fully  as  much  spirit,  if  one  may  judge 
by  the  number  of  runaways. 

If  one  wishes  to  call  the  attention  of  any  one  in  the  street  or 
a  waiter  in  a  restaurant  one  makes  a  long,  low,  hissing  noise, 
which  seems  to  attract  attention  much  more  quickly  than 
our  halloo. 

We  would  hardly  think  of  going  to  a  tinsmith  at  home  for 


46  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

a  trunk,  but  that  is  what  one  must  do  here,  and  they  give  you 
a  very  gorgeous  article  for  your  money.  As  a  rule  the  tin  is 
left  unpainted  inside  and  all  the  artist's  attention  given  to 
the  outside.  The  favorite  shades  for  the  body  color  are  rose 
pink  and  pale  blue  ;  a  bunch  of  flowers  or  a  landscape  covers 
half  the  lid  and  each  of  the  four  sides  is  similarly  decorated. 
It  makes  conspicuous  luggage,  to  say  the  least,  and  as  the 
trunks  are  small,  a  family  requires  a  great  number  and  the 
sight  of  a  family  going  to  the  railroad  station,  their  bodies 
piled  inside  and  the  trunks  outside,  is  quite  astonishing. 

Immense  loads  are  carried  on  their  heads  by  the  porters. 
Six  men  will  pick  up  a  piano,  set  it  on  their  heads  and  jog  off 
with  it,  keeping  perfect  step  and  carrying  their  necks  erect 
under  what  looks  like  a  crushing  burden.  Chairs — piles  of 
them — marble-top  tables,  wardrobes,  all  sorts  of  heavy  things 
are  set  on  their  heads  and  generally  there  are  only  tw.o  men 
to  a  load.  It  makes  one's  neck  ache  to  watch  them. 

It  is  always  warm  weather,  so  the  poor  dress  in  thin  cotton 
clothes  and  they  seem  to  enjoy  life  and  be  a  jolly  set,  but  I 
suppose  it  is  because  only  the  fittest  survive,  as  I  am  told  that 
the  death  rate  among  infants  is  from  70  to  80  per  cent.,  but 
that  once  one  reaches  thirty  years  of  age  one  is  generally 
certain  of  long  life.  There  are  many  fine  public  buildings, 
especially  the  custom-house  and  post-office  on  the  First  of 
March  Street. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  47 

The  houses  are  pretty  because  they  always  have  a  garden 
filled  with  blooming  plants  and  palms,  and  anything  would 
look  pretty  in  such  a  setting,  otherwise  I  did  not  admire 
them.  The  rooms  are  good  sized,  and  furniture  made  from 
the  fine  natural  woods  is  much  used  and  very  handsome. 


48  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 


VII. 
RIO  DE  JANEIRO. 

THE  HOTELS  OF  TIJUCA — FINE  SUBURBAN  SCENERY — THE 
NEW  PALACE — AN  INTERESTING  MUSEUM CURIOUS  MAR- 
RIAGE CUSTOMS — THE  STATUS  OF  MARRIED  WOMEN. 

OUVTDOR  is  the  name  of  the  brilliantly  lined  alley,  which 
is  called  a  street,  and  is  the  fashionable  shopping  place  in 
Rio.  It  is  so  narrow  that  carts  are  only  allowed  along  it 
very  early  in  the  morning,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the 
day  people  walk  about  in  the  street  or  on  the  sidewalk  at 
will.  There  are  many  gas-pipe  arches  across  it  at  intervals, 
so  that  it  may  be  well  illuminated,  and  it  is  well  paved. 
The  shops  are  the  finest  in  the  city,  mostly  kept  by  French 
people,  and  full  of  articles  from  Paris.  Two  corner  stores 
make  a  fine  display  of  diamonds,  and  here  one  has  the 
privilege  of  buying  native  stones  for  a  little  more  than  they 
cost  in  New  York.  One  store  is  filled  with  curiosities  and 
native  work,  baskets  from  Minas,  carved  gourds,  feather  work 


ALONG  SHOKE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  49 

from  the  Amazons,  humming  birds,  all  kinds  of  beetles — in 
short,  a  great  variety  of  articles.  A  great  many  shops  have 
beautiful  photographs  of  the  wonderful  scenery  in  and  about 
tho  city,  but  they,  like  everything  else  in  the  stores,  are 
excessive  in  price,  so  one  does  not  buy  much  even  after 
becoming  accustomed  to  the  money. 

At  first  to  see  an  ordinary  article  marked  10,000  reis 
staggers  one  until  it  is  translated  into  $5 !  They  speak  only 
of  reis,  and  it  takes  twenty  of  them  to  make  one  of  our  cents, 
besides  the  exchange  in  our  favor,  which  makes  them  a  little 
less.  There  is  quite  a  large  plaza  at  one  end  of  the  Ouvidor, 
named  San  Francisco,  with  a  fine,  large  church  facing  on  it 
that  we  never  could  find  open.  In  the  center  of  the  garden 
is  a  statue  which,  I  was  told,  was  erected  to  honor  the  Thomas 
Jefferson  of  Brazil.  It  has  gas-pipes  leading  all  about  the 
pedestal  for  purposes  of  illumination.  Only  a  block  away  is. 
another  large  plaza,  with  a  fine  colossal  equestrian  statue  of 
Dom  Pedro  in  the  center.  Around  the  base  are  four  bronze 
groups  representing  the  rivers  of  Brazil,  composed  of  one  or 
more  of  the  Indians  that  inhabit  the  banks  and  fish  for 
turtle  that  live  in  the  waters.  You  will  find  a  picture  of  it 
in  Harper's  Magazine  for  November,  1887,  page  901.  The 
writer  evidently  got  his  pictures,  as  well  as  his  facts,  some- 
what mixed.  From  the  plaza — or  largo  in  Portuguese — of 

San  Francisco  all   the  car  lines   for  the    northern  part  of  the 

4 


50  ALONG  SIIORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

city  start,  and  quite  early  one  morning  we  started  from 
there  for  Tijuca,  which  divides  the  honors  with  Petropolis  as 
being  the  favorite  resort  in  summer  for  the  people  of  Rio, 
and  is  only  a  few  miles  distant  in  the  mountains. 

Petropolis  entertains  the  court  in  summer,  but  in  winter 
there  is  nothing  there  and  it  is  not  easily  accessible,  whereas 
the  nearness  to  the  city  and  lovely  scenery  fills  the  hotels  at 
Tijuca  all  the  year  round.  The  streets  in  the  northern  section 
are  the  narrowest  in  the  city;  the  private  houses  are  not  as 
good  as  a  class,  but  there  are  many  storehouses  and  factories, 
especially  those  for  furniture.  The  first  sign  of  the  approach- 
ing country  is  the  gradual  enlarging  of  the  gardens  about  the 
houses,  and  finally  they  merge  into  farms,  with  the  half- 
ruined,  neglected  look  that  is  so  common  in  the  tropics, 
where  vegetation  is  so  rank  and  rapid  in  growth  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  keep  a  trim  garden  or  yard.  There  were 
a  good  many  fine  houses  and  some  that  were  anything  but  fine, 
yet  the  vegetation  veiled  and  hid  defects  until  every  one 
seemed  inviting  and  beautiful.  At  the  base  of  the  foot-hills 
our  two  mules  were  changed  for  four,  and  our  driver  with  an 
ordinary  whip,  for  one  with  excellent  lungs  and  a  whip,  the 
lash  of  which  was  longer  than  the  car. 

Under  their  combined  influence  we  spun  along  for  a  short 
time,  and  at  the  end  of  the  route  found  a  vehicle  something 
between  an  omnibus  and  a  diligence  waiting.  Every  one 


GROUP   OF    PALMS,    PARA,    BRAZIL. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAR.  51 

clambered  into  it,  horses  were  brought  out  from  the  stable,  and 
with  their  aid  we  began  to  climb  the  beautiful  mountain  side. 
There  were  the  same  lovely  forests  about  us  as  on  Corcovado. 
The  ferns,  palms,  vines,  orchids  and  flowers  ;  the  soft,  warm, 
yet  exhilarating  air ;  beautiful  views  of  valley  and  sea,  framed 
by  the  trees  about  us  ;  a  good  road  which  rang  with  the  horses' 
footsteps ;  here  and  there  a  country  residence,  an  occasional 
stream  leaping  down  toward  a  valley;  everything  the  eye 
rested  on  was  beautiful.  We  crossed  the  summit  of  a  mountain, 
and  driving  down  a  little  way,  came  to  Whyte's  Hotel,  which 
is  a  collection  of  large  adobe  buildings  set  011  a  terrace  close 
in  among  the  mountain  peaks,  with  a  ravine  in  front  through 
which  rushes  a  pretty  stream,  its  noise  filling  the  still,  clear  air 
all  night  and  day.  The  ravine  is  spanned  by  several  bridges, 
one  of  them  leading  to  a  path  bordered  by  sweet  violets,  which 
ends  at  the  broad  piazza  in  front  of  the  original  hotel.  This 
piazza  is  so  wide  that  it  is  furnished,  and  forms  the  favorite 
lounging  place  of  guests.  The  balconies  out  of  our  rooms 
overhung  the  brook,  and  we  sat  there  for  some  time  enjoying 
the  scene,  until  it  was  cool  enough  to  walk ;  then  we  went  a 
long  way  down  one  of  the  roads,  passing  through  a  tiny  village, 
and  being  invited  into  his  orange  grove  by  a  man  who  allowed 
us  to  pick  all  the  fruit  and  flowers  we  wanted.  The  views 
were  beautiful  and  extensive,  while  we  filled  our  hands  with 
delicate  ferns  and  wild  flowers. 


52  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Returning  to  the  hotel,  we  climbed  one  of  the  peaks  back  of 
it,  and  leaving  the  narrow  path,  went  quite  a  distance  into  the 
forest,  enjoying  the  views  and  growths  so  much  that  we  only 
waited  for  the  moon  to  rise,  after  dinner,  before  we  were  off 
again.  In  the  new  light  everything  looked  different  and  still 
more  beautiful,  if  that  were  possible.  I  wish  I  could  describe 
it  to  you,  but  one  who  has  never  spent  a  moonlight  night  in  the 
tropics  could  form  no  idea  of  it  from  any  words  at  my  command, 
it  is  all  so  entirely  different  from  our  scenery  at  home — not  one 
familiar  object.  And  here,  near  Rio,  the  very  stars  are  different 
from  those  that  watch  over  us  at  home  ;  here  we  have  lost  the 
"  dipper  "  that  points  to  the  north  star,  and  in  its  place  two 
brilliant  points  of  gold  lead  your  eyes  to  the  bright,  one-sided 
Southern  Cross. 

Early  next  morning  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  city,  but 
had  a  lovely  ride  through  the  forest  in  the  fresh  morning  air, 
and  noticed,  as  we  neared  the  city,  the  new  palace,  surrounded 
by  extensive  grounds,  so  a  few  days  afterward  we  went  out  to 
see  what  the  place  was  like.  The  palace  itself  is  a  large,  square, 
two-storied  building,  not  an  imposing  structure  at  all.  There 
are  large  iron  gates  for  official  visitors,  but  they  are  only  used 
on  such  occasions  as  the  family  generally  use  one  of  the  small 
side  doors.  The  building  is  light  yellow  in  color,  and  so  is  the 
small  guardhouse  for  the  company  of  soldiers  which  stands  a 
short  distance  away  at  the  head  of  the  broad  avenue  which  leads 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  53 

up  from  the  entrance  gate.  Between  this  guard-house  and  the 
palace  is  a  large  circular  graveled  space.  The  house  and  grounds 
were  bequeathed  to  the  Emperor  by  a  rich  Portuguese,  and  the 
grounds  could  be  made  lovely  if  enough  money  was  spent  on 
them. 

Here  and  there  are  a  grassy  slope,  an  avenue  of  trees  or  bam- 
boo, and  a  grotto  with  a  small  lake  ;  but  there  are  also  so  many 
rough,  weedy,  uncultivated  spots  that  there  is  no  effect :  each 
view  is  spoiled.  Quite  a  nice  beginning  for  a  zoological  garden 
is  in  one  place,  half  hidden  by  trees,  the  monkeys  and  leopards 
being  especially  fine.  The  interior  of  the  palace  we  never  saw, 
as  ordinary  visitors  are  not  admitted  when  the  family  are  there, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  leave  the  city  two  days  before  the  one 
set  for  our  presentation  on  the  diplomatic  reception  night. 
Santa  Anna  Park  pleased  me  more  than  any  of  the  others,  per- 
haps because  it  is  more  like  Central  Park  glorified.  The 
stretches  of  greensward,  lakes,  fountains,  bridges,  clumps  of 
trees  and  blooming  shrubs,  peacocks  strutting  about,  pretty 
ducks  in  the  lakes,  and  comfortable  benches  in  the  shade,  all 
made  a  lovely  spot  to  walk  about  and  lounge  in. 

The  city  museum  faces  the  park ;  it  is  a  large  building, 
with  most  interesting  collections  in  it.  There  were  great 
numbers  of  well-mounted  stuffed  birds,  quite  a  good  showing 
of  monkeys,  a  fair  lot  of  fish,  and  some  very  curious  min- 
erals, while  the  collection  of  Indian  articles,  which  filled 


54  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

two  large  rooms,  was  unusually  fine  and  interesting.  There 
were  various  curious  arrows  with  wooden,  stone,  and  iron 
heads,  but  the  shaft  generally  of  bamboo ;  tall,  slender  bows, 
canoes,  shields,  models  of  huts,  and  much  gorgeous  feather 
work,  a  mantle  and  many  head-dresses,  whose  long  ends 
must  have  reached  to  the  heels  of  the  savage  chieftains. 
The  wands,  which  were  said  to  be  those  of  office,  were  long 
and  slender,  covered  entirely  with  feathers,  generally  of  a 
brilliant  red. 

There  were  numbers  of  dried  human  heads,  which  are  the 
scalp-locks  of  many  tribes  of  South  American  savages  ;  they 
cut  the  head  off  their  late  enemy  and  take  all  the  bones  out 
through  the  neck,  then  they  dry  and  tan  it  over  a  small 
mould,  filling  the  nostrils  so  that  they  stand  out,  and  clos- 
ing the  eyelids ;  they  are  perfectly  black  and  seem  to  be- 
come like  leather,  the  long  hair  is  left  on  and  fancy  knotted 
strings  put  through  the  lips.  There  is  one  of  these  heads 
in  the  Gibb's  collection  of  Peruvian  articles  in  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  in  Central  Park.  There  were  curious  burial 
pots  of  red  earthenware  from  the  Island  of  Marajo,  rudely 
shaped — an  attempt  at  the  human  form — about  two  and  a 
half  feet  high.  The  bones  are  packed  in  them  in  a  sort  of 
cement  or  clay,  and  to  get  them  in  such  a  small  place  they 
must  remove  every  bit  of  the  flesh. 

One  good-sized   case   was   filled   with    articles   seized  quite 


ALONG  SHOES  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  55 

recently  by  the  police  of  Rio,  in  two  or  three  raids  which 
were  made  among  the  negroes  to  break  up  idolatry,  and 
they  were  found  using  these  articles  in  their  form  of  wor- 
ship. They  were  mostly  cloths,  knives,  and  beads,  as  the 
idol  would  generally  disappear,  some  one  secreting  it  quickly, 
but  there  were  two  figures,  rudely  carved  out  of  wood,  and 
both  about  two  feet  high.  One  had  a  bowl  on  his  head  and 
looked  quite  peaceful,  while  the  other  had  his  right  hand 
raised,  and  a  knife  in  it  as  if  about  to  strike. 

Near  our  hotel  was  one  of  the  numerous  pretty  parks,  facing 
which  was  a  large,  fine  church,  surrounded  by  a  garden  and 
approached  by  a  fine  flight  of  steps.  On  the  pediment  was  a 
large  bas-relief  of  a  scene  in  Heaven.  God,  seated  on  a  throne, 
is  leaning  forward  to  place  a  crown  of  roses  on  the  head  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  who  kneels  in  front  of  him,  while  angels  and  saints 
stand  about  in  groups.  The  interior  decorations  are  simple, 
but  fairly  good,  and  arranged  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  fine 
proportions  of  the  interior.  It  is  a  favorite  church  for  weddings, 
and  very  numerous  are  the  wreaths  and  bouquets  of  artificial 
orange-blossoms  that  adorn  the  different  altars,  placed  there  as 
offerings  by  brides. 

A  number  of  carriages,  lined  with  white,  and  drawn  by  white 
horses,  passing  the  hotel,  meant  a  bridal  party,  and  if  we  went  at 
once  to  the  church  were  in  time  to  see  the  ceremony.  Once  or 
twice  sufficed,  however,  as  there  are  no  bridesmaids,  nor  any 


56  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

pretty  procession  and  group  about  the  altar.  The  bride  wears 
white ;  the  rest  of  the  female  members  of  the  family  and  friends 
leave  their  bonnets  at  home  and  wear  their  Sunday  gowns.  The 
groom  and  other  men  wear  evening  dress,  and  the  whole  party 
cluster  pell-mell  about  the  altar  and  watch  the  knot  tied.  The 
bride  is  supposed  to  be  supported  by  a  married  friend  whom  she 
asks  to  take  charge  of  her,  but  everybody  takes  charge  of 
everybody,  and  the  finale  is  a  grand  kissing-time.  All  the  men 
kiss  the  groom,  the  women  the  bride,  and  then  they  kiss  indis- 
criminately. They  marry  very  young,  the  brides  averaging 
from  twelve  to  sixteen,  and  a  woman  of  twenty  is  quite  an 
old  maid.  They  have  large  families,  and  the  women  pass  their 
lives  in  their  houses  and  gardens. 

It  is  only  a  few  years  since  they  began  to  go  out  upon  the 
street  without  the  attendance  of  husband,  father,  or  brother, 
and  even  yet  the  very  best  families  keep  their  women  much 
secluded.  If  a  gentleman  calls  on  a  lady,  she  will  not  receive 
him  unless  her  husband  is  at  home,  and  some  ten  years  ago 
every  man,  when  he  left  his  house,  locked  the  gate  and  took  the 
key  with  him,  and  his  family  was  thus  confined  to  the  house  and 
garden  until  his  return ;  and  some  years  before  that,  if  he  went 
into  the  country  for  a  trip,  he  took  his  wife  to  a  large  convent 
near  the  public  gardens,  gave  her  to  the  nuns  to  keep,  taking  a 
receipt  for  her,  and  when  he  came  back  he  gave  up  his  receipt 
and  got  his  wife. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  57 

Things  are  gradually  changing  for  the  better,  as  far  as  the 
treatment  of  women  is  concerned  ;  they  begin  to  marry  a  little 
older,  and  thus  have  a  chance  to  get  a  little  education  of  all 
kinds,  and  are  better  fitted  to  be  companions  to  their  husbands. 
They  are  also  allowed  more  liberty,  and  consequently  behave 
better  ;  their  freedom  is  coming  slowly,  but  surely.  They  seem 
intelligent,  and  more  than  willing  to  learn  the  few  accomplish- 
ments they  are  taught.  They  have  good  figures,  and  a  good 
many  handsome  faces  look  at  you  from  the  balconies  and  gardens. 
The  men  are  short  in  stature  and  dark — a  great  deal  too  dark 
sometimes,  as  there  seems  no  objection  to  negro  blood  among  the 
Brazilians.  One  of  the  cabinet,  I  was  told,  was  two-thirds 
negro.  The  dislike  to  such  blood  seems  stronger  in  the  States 
than  anywhere  else. 

There  was  said  to  be  an  epidemic  of  small-pox,  and  every  day 
the  papers  contained  quite  a  list  of  deaths  from  it,  while  any 
number  of  funerals  passed  the  hotel,  but  they  were  almost 
entirely  children  who  had  never  been  vaccinated,  or  persons  who 
had  exposed  themselves  in  the  slums.  We  never  saw  a  person 
who  had  recently  had  it.  In  short,  people  were  more  scared 
than  hurt.  The  funerals  were  varied,  from  the  tiny  baby  in  the 
scarlet  coffin,  unattended,  to  the  large  purple  velvet  gold-trimmed 
box,  buried  in  flowers,  and  followed  by  a  long  file  of  carriages 
headed  by  a  coach  that  belonged  to  the  imperial  family,  and 
sent  as  an  empty  compliment  to  the  cast-off  body  of  the 


58  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAR. 

Emperor's  faithful  follower.  The  coffins  are  long,  narrow, 
shallow  boxes  of  wood,  over  which  are  nailed  red  cloth  for  chil- 
dren and  purple  for  other  people.  The  cover  is  a  wedge-shaped 
frame,  over  which  cloth  is  stretched  and  nailed,  making  a  flimsy, 
queer-shaped  coffin.  In  cases  of  extra  display  all  the  edges  are 
bordered  with  gold  lace. 

The  idea  of  a  funeral  wreath  seems  to  be  to  have  it  as  large 
as  possible,  with  long  streaming  bows  of  ribbon  tied  to  it. 
They  are  often  made  of  artificial  bead  or  feather  flowers  in  spite 
of  the  abundance  of  natural  beauties.  The  hearses  are  gor- 
geous, especially  those  for  children,  which  are  painted  scarlet, 
while  those  for  grown  people  are  black  and  shiny,  with  tufts  of 
black  plumes  on  the  roofs  and  on  the  horses'  heads.  Only  men 
follow  the  body,  in  carriages,  except  in  the  case  of  young  chil- 
dren, when  their  playmates  seem  to  go  too,  and  carry  bunches  of 
fresh  flowers.  There  were  too  many  deaths  from  contagious 
diseases  to  make  a  visit  to  the  cemeteries  other  than  foolhardy, 
so  I  never  saw  an  interment. 


VIII. 
THE  RIO  DE  LA  PLATA.— MONTEVIDEO. 

THE   STREETS   AND   HOUSES    OF   THE   METROPOLIS — A  CITY     OF 

PRETTY   GIRLS CURIOUS  DOMESTIC  AND   SOCIAL  USAGES 

HOW  THE  COOKING  AND  LAUNDRY  WORK  ARE  DONE. 

WITH  deep  regret  we  said  farewell  to  lovely  Rio,  and  stand- 
ing on  the  deck  of  the  steamer,  southward  bound,  our  little 
group  watched,  in  the  silence  of  sorrow,  its  beauties  one  by  one 
fade  from  our  view — the  city,  harbor,  mountains — all  vanished, 
and  when  we  finally  turned  about  to  go  below,  the  coast  only 
showed  as  a  low-lying  cloud  on  the  horizon.  Yet  we  had  the 
comforting  assurance  that  we  should  once  again  visit  this 
Garden  of  Eden,  for,  in  this  part  of  the  world,  if  all  roads  do 
not  lead  to  Rome,  all  steamship  lines  do  go  to  Rio,  and  on  our 
way  home  we  were  sure  to  stop  there. 

The  next  day  we  wished  ourselves  back  more  vehemently 
than  ever,  for  heavy  black  clouds  came  rolling  up  from  the 
southwest,  with  every  now  and  then  a  brilliant  flash  of  light- 
ning darting  through  them,  and  by  contrast  intensifying  their 


60  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR, 

blackness.  On  they  swept,  and  we  soon  were  dancing,  tum- 
bling, and  rolling  about  in  the  midst  of  a  pampero ;  the  rain 
passed  quickly,  and  then  the  wind  blew  a  gale  for  three  days, 
and  we  were  well  inside  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  before 
we  found  weather  and  water  to  suit  every  one. 

The  Rio  de  la  Plata  always  seemed  to  me  more  of  an  estuary 
than  a  river.  Its  water  is  muddy,  and  there  is  a  strong,  steady 
current,  but  there  is  such  a  vast  expanse  of  water  that  one  does 
not  notice  the  current,  and  when  one  can  navigate  a  river  for 
forty-eight  hours  without  seeing  land  on  either  side,  or  in  fact 
anywhere  on 'the  horizon,  one  needs  to  be  a  navigator  to  know 
where  he  is,  or  else  to  have  a  believing  spirit  to  accept  what  is 
stated  as  a  fact. 

The  first  glimpse  we  had  of  land  was  of  the  Lobos  Islands, 
two  low,  rocky  islets  surrounded  by  dangerous  reefs,  and  getting 
their  name  of  Lobos — seal — from  the  fact  that  they  are  a  great 
resort  in  winter  for  seals  that  come  up  from  the  south  and  breed 
there  in  quantities.  A  certain  number  are  taken  every  year,  and 
there  are  buildings  on  the  larger  island  for  curing  skins  and  try- 
ing out  oil,  and  a  corral  of  stout  logs  into  which  the  animals 
are  driven  to  be  killed  with  clubs.  The  killing  season  is  from 
May  15  to  October  15,  and  the  average  take  is  14,000,  for  which 
the  government  receives  $10,000,  and  the  port  of  Maldonado  a 
certain  amount  of  skins  and  oil  to  the  general  value  of  about 
$3,000. 


ALONG  SHOEE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  61 

On  account  of  the  seals  no  lighthouse  is  allowed  on  the  islands, 
and  many  ships  are  wrecked  on  their  reefs,  but  the  government 
of  Uruguay  prefers  its  income  to  saving  the  merchant  marine  of 
other  nations  from  disaster. 

Uruguay — or,  as  it  is  officially  called,  Republica  Oriental  del 
Uruguay,  from  its  being  on  the  oriental  bank  of  the  river — is  a 
small  but  wonderfully  fertile  and  rich  country,  which  only 
needs  more  people,  law,  and  order  to  flow  with  milk  and  honey. 

In  the  northern  and  eastern  parts  there  are  mountains,  and 
the  rest  is  what  looked  to  us,  with  our  memories  of  Brazilian 
mountains,  a  dead,  monotonous  level,  but  in  reality  it  is  a  rich, 
rolling  plain,  covered  with  fine  succulent  grasses,  on  which  the 
herds  of  cattle  thrive  and  fatten.  One  never  gets  to  the  mount- 
ainous regions,  because  there  is  no  grand  river  highway  to  lead 
people  and  commerce  to  them,  and  they  are  comparatively  unde- 
veloped. Only  a  few  adventurous  spirits  or  miners  take  the  long 
stage  coach  and  horseback  rides,  and  the  reports  they  bring  back 
are  not  such  as  to  tempt  one,  yet  they  report  the  country  as  beauti- 
ful and  the  mines  rich.  In  short,  the  little  republic  can  boast  of  a 
well-watered  land,  rich  soil,  good  climate,  and  fine  landscapes  ;  in 
fact,  it  is  a  land  where  every  prospect  pleases  and  only  man  is — 
well,  he  is  not  exactly  vile,  but  certainly  not  pleasant  to  live 
with,  for  his  ways  are  not  ours.  A  republic  in  name  and  with- 
out some  of  the  bad  features  of  a  monarchy,  but  personal  politics, 
arms  at  the  polls,  good  laws  badly  enforced,  revolutions,  and  a 


62  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

state  church,  all  combined,  make  anything  but  an  ideal  republic. 
Of  course  I  am  now  speaking  of  the  people  as  a  nation,  for  in- 
dividually the  gente  decente,  or  better,  class,  are  delightful. 
Their  country  is  still  young  and  they  had  a  bad  start.  Fancy 
what  our  country  would  have  been  if  only  the  poorer  class  of 
Spaniards  had  settled  here  and  intermarried  with  the  Indians, 
and  we  had  only  these  people  to  form  our  republic  ! — what  a 
fine  mess  we  should  have  made  of  it ! — instead  of  which  we  had 
English,  Dutch,  French,  and  Spanish  blood  and  all  sorts  of 
creeds,  each  one  holding  the  other  in  check  and  forming  a  com- 
mon front  against  the  Indians,  and  then  when  we  had  formed 
the  nucleus  of  a  nation  and  accomplished  our  independence,  in 
our  hour  of  need  we  had  patriots  and  statesmen  to  start  us  on  the 
right  road,  and  we  have  grown  until  our  nation  is  the  guiding 
star  of  all  republics  and  a  menace  to  all  monarchies. 

On  the  morning  of  our  sixth  day  out  from  Rio  we  arrived  at 
Montevideo,  and  what  a  peculiar  picture  it  was  that  greeted  us 
as  we  came  on  deck  to  see  the  city.  Everything  was  gray  :  the 
sky  covered  with  heavy  gray  clouds,  the  city  of  gray  adobe,  the 
water  breaking  against  the  shore,  the  surrounding  country,  all 
gray,  and  looking  so  cold  and  dreary.  The  chill  wind  of  early 
spring  whistled  through  the  rigging,  and  we  got  ashore  as  soon  as 
possible  to  look  for  something  cheering,  as  this  was  to  be  our 
headquarters  for  several  years. 

The   city   is   built   on   a   long,    low  point   of   land   shaped 


ALONG  SHORE   WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  63 

something  like  a  whale's  back,  having  the  river  on  one  side 
and  the  bay  011  the  other.  The  bay  is  semicircular  and  shallow, 
large  vessels  having  to  lie  a  great  distance  from  the  wharves, 
and,  as  the  water  is  liable  at  any  time  to  be  blown  into  foaming 
billows  by  strong  winds,  for  about  nine  months  of  the  year 
landing  and  shipping  cargo  is  uncertain  and  risky,  and  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing  for  naval  officers  to  be  detained  several 
days  on  shore  who  had  only  intended  stopping  for  a  dinner 
or  a  dance,  so  a  man  living  in  his  evening  togs  at  the  hotel 
was  no  unusual  sight. 

On  the  point  of  the  bay  opposite  the  city  is  the  mount  from 
which  the  city  gets  its  name  of  Montevideo,  or  Mount  Isee. 
It  is  a  bare,  grass-grown  hill,  with  an  old  fort  and  lighthouse 
on  its  summit,  while  at  its  feet  cluster  the  houses  and  sal- 
aderos  of  the  suburb  known  as  Cerro.  The  wharves  are  good, 
and  lead  directly  up  to  the  narrow  streets  of  the  old  part  of 
the  city,  which  is  built  on  the  point.  As  I  said  before,  the 
wind  was  cold,  so  every  one  stepped  along  briskly  and  there 
was  color  in  their  cheeks,  quite  cheering  to  look  at  after  the 
pale  faces  of  Rio ;  and  oh !  how  pretty  the  Montevideo  girls 
are  !  especially  when  about  fifteen  'or  sixteen ;  such  plump 
little  pigeons,  with  large  dark  eyes,  sweet  smiles,  and  perfectly- 
fitting  gowns — a  little  too  fond,  perhaps,  of  covering  their 
pretty  skins  with  cosmetics,  but  very  pretty,  sweet,  and 
attractive,  all  the  same. 


64  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

The  streets  are  paved  with  gray  stones,  the  narrow  sidewalks 
covered  with  gray  flagging,  the  houses  built  with  thick, 
heavy  walls  made  of  rough  kiln-burnt  brick  and  covered  with 
gray  adobe  both  outside  and  in.  The  inner  walls  are  generally 
frescoed  with  some  arabesque  design  in  colors  that  are  put  on 
with  the  aid  of  stencil-plates.  The  majority  of  the  edifices  are 
one  story  in  height,  although  many  of  the  modern  ones  boast 
of  two  and  even  three. 

The  Italian  workmen  model  and  carve  the  stucco  until  some 
of  the  fronts  look  like  masses  of  beautiful  stone  carving,  while 
only  the  poorest  are  quite  without  ornament  of  this  kind. 
Often  the  foundation,  or  all  the  basement,  is  faced  with  slabs 
of  marble,  while  the  steps,  door  and  window  frames  are  of  the 
same  material.  The  windows  have  heavy  gratings  over  them, 
and  generally  a  Venetian  blind  between  the  grating  and  sash. 

The  doors  are  heavy  and  solid,  and  the  big  bolts  to  secure 
them,  like  those  on  the  windows,  are  heavy  and  clumsily  made. 
The  door,  which  is  generally  the  only  entrance  and  exit,  is 
ordinarily  put  on  one  side  of  the  street  front  of  the  house, 
and  leads  into  a  hall.  The  rest  of  the  street  front  is  taken  up 
by  a  big  room,  which  is  used  for  the  parlor.  The  hall  is  as 
long  as  this  room  is  deep,  and  terminates  in  a  patio  or  open 
court,  which  may  or  may  not  have  a  glass  roof — usually  not. 
In  this  front  patio  is  the  aljibe — cistern — which  receives  its 
water  from  the  flat  roof.  It  is  made  as  ornamental  as  possible, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  65 

with  pretty  blue  and  white  tiles  around  and  an  arch  of  fancy 
iron  work  over  it.  In  the  center  of  the  arch  hangs  a  chain,  to 
which  is  attached  a  bucket.  The  floor  of  the  patio  is  of  marble 
or  brick,  and  many  pots  of  flowers  and  plants  cluster  about 
the  walls.  From  here  doors  lead  into  the  different  rooms, 
and  these  doors  are  partly  of  glass,  as  through  them  comes 
all  the  light  and  air  that  the  rooms  get,  there  being  no  windows. 
Behind  this  front  patio  there  is  another,  connected  by  a 
passageway ;  out  of  this  open  more  rooms  and  the  kitchen, 
which  is  a  small,  dark  place  like  a  closet.  At  one  end  is  a 
tiled  shelf,  in  which  are  sunk  two  or  more  small,  grated  iron 
baskets.  These  are  from  four  to  six  inches  square,  and  in 
them  the  fire  for  cooking  is  made,  Avood  and  charcoal  alone 
being  used. 

It  is  a  study  to  one  used  to  our  stoves  and  ranges  to  see  how 
many  courses  a  cook  will  prepare  over  those  tiny  fires.  I  have 
watched  them  with  admiration.  Bread  and  cake  are  bought  of 
the  baker,  but  occasionally,  in  the  country,  one  sees  low  round 
ovens  built  in  the  yard,  and  in  these  a  fire  is  made,  the  ashes 
raked  out,  and  the  bread  baked,  as  our  grandmothers  had  it 
done. 

Laundry  work  is  not  done  in  the  house,  so  the  clothes  are 
given  to  an  ironing  woman,  who  sub-lets  the  washing  part  to  a 
washwoman,  this  latter  taking  them  down  to  the  river  bank. 
Here  she  kneels  down,  splashes  them  in  the  river,  soaps, 


66  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

splashes  again,  and  then  laying  them  in  a  wooden  tray,  or  on  a 
stone,  she  beats  them  with  a  wooden  mallet,  wielding  it  with 
all  her  strength,  the  consequence  being  holes  everywhere,  and 
no  color  left  in  anything  that  originally  boasted  it.  Then  the 
articles  are  spread  flat  on  the  shore  or  hung  on  lines  close  by, 
after  which  they  are  taken  back  to  the  ironing-woman,  who 
eventually  returns  the  remains  to  you. 

The  rooms  of  the  family  often  have  fine  furniture  and 
beautiful  ornaments,  but  carpets  outside  the  parlor  are  rare, 
while  a  fire-place  or  stove  anywhere  in  the  house  is  considered 
an  abomination  by  the  natives,  who  declare  that  a  fire  is 
unhealthy.  In  fact,  their  houses  are  built  and  their  lives 
ordered  stric  •  ly  with  a  view  to  keeping  cool,  which,  as  they 
have  five  months  of  winter,  during  which  they  go  about  blue 
with  cold,  and  give  you  icy  hands  to  press,  seems  to  the 
stranger  like  a  serious  mistake.  When  making  calls,  at  this 
season,  one  will  find  whole  families  receiving  all  clad  in  heavy 
garments,  the  women  with  their  hands  in  muffs  and  their 
pretty  little  slippers  on  foot-warmers,  while  the  gentlemen 
luxuriate  in  overcoats. 


IX. 

SCENES  IN  MONTEVIDEO 

STREETS,  SQUARES,  AND  PLAZZAS  OF  THE  URUGUAYAN  CAPITAL 

INSIDE    THE     HALLS     OF     CONGRESS — REMINISCENCE    OF 

PRESIDENT  SANTOS — HIS  EXILE  AND  DEATH — THE  GREAT 
FESTIVAL  OF  CORPUS  CHRISTI — OPEN  SALE  OF  LOTTERY 
TICKETS — THE  VARIOUS  CLUB-HOUSES. 

"  TWENTY-FIFTH  OF  MAY  "  is  the  principal  shopping  street 
in  Montevideo.  It  gets  its  name  from  the  date  of  independ- 
ence from  Spain,  and  is  narrow  and  rather  gloomy  during  the 
day,  but  at  night  gas-jets  and  electric  lights  make  it  brilliant. 
The  shops  are  all  small,  and  most  of  the  names  over  them  are 
French  or  German,  yet  the  clerks  in  the  retail  stores  are 
Spanish  and  really  understand  nothing  else.  There  are,  of 
course,  shops  on  other  streets,  as  "  Sarandi "  and  the  "  Eigh- 
teenth of  July,"  but  "  Twenty-fifth  of  May  "  is  the  Broadway. 
The  display  of  jewelry  and  precious  stones,  especially  diamonds, 
is  something  wonderful.  They  are  tastefully  set  and  well  dis- 


68  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

played  on  velvet  cushions.  So  many  of  these  shops  are  there 
that  they  seem  to  light  up  the  whole  street.  Next  in  number 
come  the  exchange  shops  and  places  for  the  sale  of  lottery 
tickets.  The  lottery  is  a  government  institution,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds are  used  for  the  support  of  the  big  charity  hospital  on  the 
Twenty-fifth  of  May  Street.  It  built  the  hospital  originally, 
and  has  also  paid  for  the  insane  asylum,  besides  other  smaller 
buildings  for  charitable  purposes,  such  as  lying-in  hospitals. 
Men  and  boys  are  the  chief  vendors,  and  you  are  assailed  by 
them  at  every  corner,  but  especially  on  the  plazas.  There  are 
three  different  lists  of  prizes,  headed  by  a  grand  prize  which  is 
either  $50,000,  825,000,  or  $12,500.  If  it  is  the  first  mentioned, 
a  whole  ticket  costs  $10,  if  the  second,  $5,  and  if  the  last  named, 
a  ticket  is  $2.50.  The  tickets  are  divided  into  fifths ;  on  the 
face  of  each  fifth  is  a  list  of  the  prizes  offered,  a  description  of 
the  ticket  to  let  you  know  what  color  it  ought  to  be,  and  on  the 
back  the  date  of  drawing.  The  vendors  get  6  per  cent.,  and 
they  always  have  in  their  pockets  an  official  printed  copy  of  the 
numbers  of  the  last  drawing,  and  you  constantly  see  people  stop- 
ping them  and  taking  tickets  out  of  the  pockets  to  compare  with 
the  list,  and  see  what  they  have  drawn.  Every  one  buys,  from 
the  street  vendors  of  fruits  and  cakes,  porters,  and  laborers  up. 
Drawings  are  frequent,  and  prizes  are  always  promptly  paid  in 
silver  coin. 

There  are  several  plazas,  or  public  squares,  the  principal  ones 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  69 

"being  Constitucion,  Independencia,  Caganclia,  and  Rincon. 
They  are  all  curbed  and  have  a  flagged  sidewalk  around  them, 
and  there  are  a  few  trees,  but  beyond  the  trees  not  a  blade  of 
grass  or  anything  green  is  to  be  seen,  the  whole  space  being 
covered  with  gravel.  Stone-paved  paths  intersect  each  square, 
and  along  their  sides  are  benches,  usually  occupied  by  gossiping 
groups  of  lottery-ticket  vendors.  I  am  told  that  there  were 
formerly  grass,  flowers,  and  shrubs  in  the  parks,  but  Santos,  the 
last  despot  who  occupied  the  presidential  chair,  wanted  more 
money,  so  he  had  a  bill  passed  to  remove  all  grass,  etc.,  from 
the  public  squares  and  sold  the  privilege  of  doing  the  work. 
He  had  many  curious  ways  of  managing  things,  but  must  have 
had  some  talents  to  work  his  way  up  from  a  stable  boy  to  the 
Presidency.  He  undoubtedly  had  his  assassins  for  private  work 
and  on  a  few  occasions,  when  afraid  to  trust  them — reputable 
men  assured  me — did  the  work  himself.  Every  vacant  lot  in 
the  city  is  inclosed  by  a  high  brick  wall.  He  and  his  brother 
bought  all  the  bricks  in  the  city,  also  those  at  the  kilns,  and 
then  ordered  all  vacant  lots  walled  in  with  brick  within  a 
certain  time.  He  was  finally  wounded  in  the  face  by  a  soldier, 
who  tried  to  kill  him,  and  went  to  Europe  to  have  the  wound 
treated.  No  sooner  had  he  sailed  than  Tajes,  his  minister  of 
war,  proceeded,  with  a  regiment  on  which  he  could  rely,  to  the 
barracks,  where  the  favorite  regiment  of  Santos  was  quartered, 
disarmed  them,  and  then  proclaimed  himself  President.  Next 


70  ALONG  SHORE  WITII  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

a  law  of  expatriation  was  passed,  and  Santos  never  again 
returned  to  Uruguay.  He  spent  his  last  days  in  Buenos 
Ayres,  and  every  now  and  then  we  would  be  startled  by  a  report 
that  he  had  lauded  at  night  in  some  part  of  Uruguay  or  even 
in  the  city,  and  as  that  meant  a  revolution  and  fighting,  it  was 
wiser  to  keep  out  of  the  streets  until  the  rumor  proved  false. 
He  died  in  Buenos  Ayres,  and  then  the  government  offered  his 
widow  a  man-of-war  to  bring  his  body  home  in  state,  but  she 
refused,  and  brought  him  quietly  over  in  a  regular  passenger 
steamer,  and  without  parade  of  any  kind  he  was  laid  to  rest 
among  his  people.  He  left  a  widow,  several  children,  and  a 
large  fortune.  Alive,  he  was  dreaded  worse  than  the  plague  ; 
dead,  he  is  forgotten. 

Constitucion  is  often  called  Matriz,  because  the  Cathedral  of 
La  Matriz — The  Mother — is  built  on  one  side  of  it.  The 
church  is  very  large,  even  for  a  cathedral,  and  from  the  outside 
its  two  towers  and  dome  look  very  fine.  The  interior  is  bare 
and  unusually  destitute  of  ornament,  the  only  costly  one  being 
the  marble  tomb  of  a  bishop,  with  a  colossal  figure  of  the  ec- 
clesiastic in  his  robes  kneeling  on  top.  The  ornaments  on  the 
altars  are  poor,  but  in  good  taste,  as  are  the  saints'  statues  and 
painted  altar  pieces ;  an  air  of  poverty  seems  to  pervade  the 
place.  Across  the  plaza  is  the  large  municipal  building, 
neither  very  imposing  nor  pleasing  except  during  carnival,  or 
on  some  especial  gala  occasion,  when  it  is  beautifully  decorated 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  71 

by  day  and  illuminated  by  night.  It  seemed  spacious  and 
comfortable  inside,  the  entrance  being  through  big  doors  into  a 
square  hall,  off  which  doors  on  the  left  lead  into  the  central  po- 
lice court,  and  those  011  the  right  into  the  barracks  of  the 
guard,  for  soldiers  are  on  duty  there  all  the  while.  Two  of 
them  with  fixed  bayonets  stand  at  the  foot  of  a  broad  marble 
staircase,  which  leads  from  the  rear  of  the  square  entrance  hall 
to  the  floor  above.  Just  behind  the  sentinels  are  two  strong 
iron  gates  that  could  be  quickly  swung  to  and  barred  if  the 
legislators  above  needed  protection. 

Ascending  the  staircase  we  enter  a  narrow  hall  which  runs 
around  the  square  inner  patio,  and  from  which  doors  give  en- 
trance to  the  different  rooms.  One  is  occupied  by  the  senate,, 
and  any  one  may  attend  its  sittings  who  chooses  to  do  so,  but 
not  too  many  must  come  at  one  time,  as  only  four  hard  wooden 
benches  across  one  end  of  the  long,  narrow  room  are  provided 
for  the  public.  These  are  elevated,  and  are  reached  by  a  few 
steps.  A  heavy  wooden  railing  separates  them  from  the  rest  of 
the  rooms,  and  to  this  railing  several  small  leaves  hang ;  these, 
when  propped  up,  can  be  used  by  reporters,  standing  in  front  of 
them,  to  write  on.  At  the  opposite  end  of  the  room  is  a  large 
desk  with  a  big  arm-chair  behind  it,  and  in  the  chair  sits  the 
vice-president  of  the  republic,  as  presiding  officer.  He  was  an 
old  man  with  pure  white  hair,  gray  beard,  and  a  fine  intellect- 
ual face.  He  looked  very  small  in  the  very  big  chair.  A  David 


72  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Davis  would  have  fitted  it  better.  On  the  wall  just  behind  him 
hung  an  oil  portrait  of  Gen.  Artigas  in  full  uniform,  and  on  one 
of  the  side  walls  was  a  similar  portrait  of  Suarez.  They  were 
both  patriots  and  mighty  men  in  their  day  in  Uruguay.  No 
desks  are  furnished,  and  if  a  senator  wishes  to  read  his  speech 
he  brings  it  in  his  hand  and  holds  it  until  he  goes  out,  or  puts 
it  in  his  pocket.  I  never  saw  more  than  a  dozen  of  the  nineteen 
senators  in  their  seats ;  they  attend  strictly  to  their  business, 
speak  sitting  in  their  chairs,  and  give  their  assent  to  any 
proposition  by  bending  forward  from  their  waists.  Four  clerks 
write  at  four  desks,  and,  save  the  scratching  of  their  pens,  the 
room  is  very  still ;  yet  as  the  senators  speak  only  for  one  an- 
other's benefit,  and  the  few  there  are  of  them  being  at  the  fur- 
ther end  of  the  room,  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  understand 
anything. 

The  House  of  Representatives  meet  in  a  similar  room  in  an- 
other side  of  the  building,  and  it  is  arranged  much  in  the  same 
manner,  except  that  here  there  are  a  few  more  benches  for  the 
public.  There  are  fifty-four  chairs  and  always  a  goodly  number 
of  members  present.  They  speak  louder  and  seem  generally 
more  democratic  and  noisy. 

On  the  Sarandi  side  of  the  plaza  is  the  magnificent  new  three- 
storied  marble-faced  building  of  the  Uruguayan  Club,  the  effect 
of  which  is,  however,  spoiled  for  me  by  giving  up  the  ground 
floor  to  shops.  Opposite  is  the  unpretentious  brown  building 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  73 

which  is  the  headquarters  of  Englishmen  and  foreigners  gen- 
erally, and  is  known  as  the  English  Club.  Shops  occupy  the 
rest  of  the  square,  and  over  most  of  them  are  private  residences, 
it  being  not  at  all  out  of  the  way  here  to  live  over  a  shop,  even 
the  president  sometimes  doing  so. 

To  se3  the  plaza  at  its  gayest  one  must  go  in  the  even- 
ings, especially  on  warm  summer  ones,  when  a  military  band 
plays  and  numerous  pretty  senoritas  of  the  city  and  of  Bue- 
nos Ayres  are  sitting  demurely  at  the  tables,  with  papa  and 
mamma,  pretending  to  eat  ices  or  drink  beer,  while  the  young 
men  wander  about  speaking  to  those  they  know.  On  Corpus 
Christi  day  it  is  crowded,  packed  with  people  who  assemble 
to  see  the  great  religious  procession  of  the  year,  when  all 
the  priests  and  societies  of  the  city  meet  together  in  the 
cathedral,  and  issuing  from  it  march  in  solemn  procession 
around  the  square,  singing,  carrying  lighted  candles,  and 
showing  to  the  multitude  the  great  treasure  of  the  country, 
which  is  a  small  piece  of  the  true  cross.  I  saw  the  pro- 
cession one  year  and  it  was  a  beautiful  sight.  The  peo- 
ple in  the  surrounding  houses  brought  out  silk  hangings 
and  embroidered  cloths  and  hung  them  on  the  front  of 
their  houses.  Every  balcony  was  filled  with  people,  and  all  in 
and  about  the  plaza  the  people  were  packed  so  close  that  it 
seemed  a  sea  of  heads  as  one  looked  down  on  them — a  sea 
that  swayed  and  surged  as  each  one  strove  to  better  his 


74  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

position.  The  curbstones  on  each  side  of  the  street  were 
lined  with  soldiers  in  full  uniform,  and  there  was  a  military 
band  at  each  corner.  There  was  some  delay,  but  finally  the 
procession  issued  from  the  church,  and  it  was  so  long  that  it 
reached  nearly  around  the  square.  First  came  the  boys 
destined  for  the  priesthood,  then  those  who  were  training  for 
missionaries ;  next  a  veiled  host  on  the  top  of  a  long  pole, 
the  veil  stiff  with  embroidery,  borne  by  a  priest.  It  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  long  line  of  them  ;  next  the  big  white  satin  gold- 
embroidered  banner  of  the  bishop ;  behind  that  a  banner  of 
cloth  of  gold,  with  a  small  glass  case  hanging  in  the  center 
of  it.  In  this  case  was  the  piece  of  the  true  cross,  and  at 
its  approach  the  soldiers  and  the  people  all  knelt.  Next 
came  a  veiled  host,  then  a  pennant,  which  was  so  heavily 
embroidered  with  gold  that  it  stood  out  straight  and  stiff. 
Just  behind  was  a  double  row  of  Jesuit  priests  in  robes — 
as  well  as  others — their  candles  being  in  lanterns.  Priests 
of  the  cathedral,  dressed  in  the  robes  of  the  mass,  followed, 
then  priests  walking  backward  and  burning  incense  before 
the  bishop,  who  walked  beneath  a  yellow  brocade  canopy, 
dressed  in  gorgeous  robes  and  surrounded  by  attendants. 
After  he  passed,  all  those  who  were  kneeling  arose  and 
watched  the  priests  of  different  parishes,  headed  by  veiled 
hosts,  file  by.  The  procession  closed  with  numerous  socie- 
ties, all  dressed  in  ordinary  dress  and  distinguished  by  the 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  75 

ribbons  around  their  shoulders.  When  all  had  paced  slowly 
around  the  square  they  entered  the  cathedral  and  a  long 
service  followed,  but  as  soon  as  they  had  disappeared  behind 
the  doors  the  band  struck  up  a  march,  the  soldiers  fell  into 
line  and  marched  off  to  their  barracks,  while  a  few  people 
went  in  to  attend  the  service  and  the  majority  went  home. 

It  was  a  lovely  spectacle,  there  was  so  much  gold,  so  many 
brilliant  priests'  robes,  the  bands  playing,  soldiers'  uniforms 
glittering,  the  procession  chanting,  the  bells  all  over  the  city 
ringing  merrily,  the  kneeling  crowd — it  all  looked  very  pretty 
in  the  bright  sunshine,  and  to  Roman  Catholics,  who  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  all  the  details,  it  must  have  been  espe- 
cially attractive. 

Independencia  Plaza  is  only  two  blocks  away,  and  is  the 
largest  in  the  city.  It  is  intended  to  have  a  colonnade  all 
around  it,  but  the  work  progresses  slowly,  and  only  the  two 
ends  and  part  of  the  sides  are  so  decorated.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  shops  and  houses,  except  a  large  public  building 
called  the  Government  House,  which  is  filled  with  different 
offices,  among  them  those  of  the  president ;  and  any  day  about 
four  the  latter  could  be  seen  to  come  out  and  enter  his  hand- 
some coupe,  which  took  him  to  his  own  hoi:se  c  n  the  "  Eigh- 
teenth of  July  Street."  The  18th  of  July  is  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  adoption  of  the  constitution,  and  the  street  is  a 
fine  wide  one,  being  in  the  new  part  of  the  city.  It  is 


7G  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

planted  with  a  row  of  trees  on  each  side,  and  is  very  long, 
extending  way  out  into  the  country.  Plaza  Cagancha  is 
made  by  widening  the  Eighteenth  of  July  Street  for  two 
squares,  and  contains  the  only  statue  in  the  city,  and  it 
is  erected  to  Liberty.  On  the  top  of  a  tall  Corinthian  col- 
umn of  marble  is  a  female  figure  in  bronze,  wearing  the 
Phrygian  cap  and  draped  in  the  costume  of  ancient  Greece ; 
one  hand  holds  the  flag  of  Uruguay,  and  the  other  a  pair 
of  broken  shackles.  Rincon  Plaza  is  in  the  old  part  of  the 
town  and  is  surrounded  by  small  houses.  It  is  often  used 
as  a  drill  ground  for  troops,  and  on  summer  evenings  the 
benches  are  freely  patronized  by  spoony  couples,  as  it  is  not 
veiy  brilliantly  lighted.  One  of  the  streets  which  leads 
from  it  to  the  water  is  called  Washington,  named  for  our 
immortal  George. 


X. 

OSTRICHES    IN   URUGUAY— VISIT    TO    SENOR    SA- 
PELLO'S   BIRD   FARM   NEAR   PIEDRAS. 

AN  AFTERNOON  AT  THE  QUIET  VILLAGE  OF  SANTA  LUCIA 
—A  DECAYING  TOWN  THAT  ONCE  ENJOYED  A  BOOM- -ITS 
BIG  HOTEL  AND  GRASS-GROWN  STREETS. 

THE  Central  Railroad  of  Uruguay  passes  through  many 
little  towns  near  Montevideo,  and  sometimes  we  made  excur- 
sions on  it  to  see  the  hamlets  and  pass  a  day  in  the  coun- 
try aAvay  from  the  heat  of  the  city.  Some  one  told  us  that 
Santa  Lucia  was  an  interesting  place,  so  we  made  it  the 
destination  of  our  next  outing.  For  two  hours  and  a  half 
the  train  slowly  crossed  the  flat  country,  often  stopping  at 
pretty  little  stations,  with  towns  more  or  less  near  them. 
When  quite  near  to  Santa  Lucia  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  a 
rather  broad  stream,  called  a  river,  with  a  pretty  good  current 
and  quite  high  bluff  banks  for  this  country.  Arriving,  we 
found  a  railroad  station  large  and  airy,  with  rooms  for  the 
station-master  and  his  family  at  one  end,  as  well  as  a  gar- 
den for  his  flowers  and  chickens  in  the  rear.  There  was 


78  ALONG  SHORE  WITU  A  MAN-OF-WAIt. 

the  usual  crowd  of  men  and  women  to  watch  the  passengers 
alight,  most  of  the  women  Indians,  with  a  few  oranges  or 
lemons  to  sell.  Most  of  the  men  were  natives,  dressed  in 
riding  costume,  who  had  come  in  from  their  farms  for  pleasure 
or  profit,  and  having  tied  their  horses  to  the  fence,  were  watch- 
ing the  travelers  while  patronizing  the  bar.  A  cloud  of  hack- 
men  surrounded  us  as  we  stood  making  up  our  minds  what  to 
do  next.  They  were  eager  and  clamorous,  but  we  told  them 
in  English  we  did  not  want  anything,  and  finally  they  left 
us  in  despair.  I  wish  now  that  we  had  gone  with  one  of 
them  to  see  where  he  would  have  taken  us,  and  what  castles 
in  Spain  he  would  have  built  out  of  his  imagination  with 
which  to  glorify  the  decaying  little  town. 

Once  Santa  Lucia  had  a  boom  as  a  summer  resort,  and  the 
brothers  Fernandez,  who  had  made  a  pile  of  money  in  the  Ori- 
ental Hotel  in  Montevideo,  decided  to  build  a  summer  hotel  in 
Santa  Lucia,  so  as  to  make  a  second  fortune,  instead  of  which 
they  speedily  became  bankrupt ;  and,  seeing  the  hotel,  one  can- 
not wonder  at  their  non-success.  It  is  separated  from  the  rail- 
road depot  by  a  broad  street  and  a  large  grove  of  eucalyptus 
trees,  each  of  which  had  to  be  brought  there  and  set  out.  The 
building  occupies  a  block  about  300  feet  square.  It  is  built 
one  room  deep  and  one  story  high  clear  round.  Of  these  rooms 
about  forty  are  guest-chambers,  two  dining-rooms  and  the  rest 
given  over  to  servants  and  rubbish.  When  I  tell  you  that  the 


AVENUE   OF    PALMS,  BOTANICAL  GARDEN,    RIO   DE  JANEIRO. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  79 

regular  price  for  two  people  in  a  room  during  the  season  is — 
with  two  meals  a  day — only  f  2  a  head,  you  can  easily  see  why 
this  big  building  did  not  pay.  The  patio  is  a  garden  filled 
with  vegetables  and  here  and  there  some  flowers ;  between 
them  and  the  building  was  a  broad  bricked  terrace,  with  columns 
and  a  roof  of  iron  trellis  thickly  covered  with  grape-vines.  It 
made  a  lovely  place  to  walk  or  lounge  in,  and  after  a  good 
breakfast  we  talked  to  a  group  of  young  girls  Avho  had  come 
there  with  their  families  to  spend  the  summer.  They  put  us 
through  a  catechism  and  we  returned  the  compliment,  but  from 
their  account  there  did  not  seem  any  thing,  of  especial  interest  in 
the  town,  so  we  sat  there  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  improved 
our  Spanish  by  practice,  and  watched  the  women  of  all  ages 
suck  mate,  while  the  young  fry  amused  themselves  with  a  dead 
mouse,  burying,  digging  it  up,  and  throwing  it  around,  none 
of  them  apparently  objecting  at  all  to  handling  it.  Finally  we 
started  out  and  walked  clear  through  the  town  several  time's. 
It  is  said  to  have  3,000  inhabitants,  and  it  may ;  anyway  its 
forlornness  made  it  fascinating.  The  streets  are  wide,  grass- 
grown,  and  silent,  scarcely  a  creature  stirring.  Wild  flowers 
grew  along  the  roads,  while  here  and  there  were  clumps  of 
elderberry  bushes  in  full  bloom. 

There  are  a  goodly  number  of  houses  with  pretty  little  gar- 
dens about  them,  and  in  some  cases  people  were  sitting  on  the 
piazzas  or  in  the  patios,  but  not  all  could  boast  of  inhabitants  ; 


80  ALONG  SHORE  WITH.  A  MAN-OF-WAll. 

many  were  windowless,  their  roofs  falling  in  or  fallen,  with 
weeds,  tall  and  rank,  pushing  their  way  up  through  the  brick 
pavements  of  the  deserted  rooms.  We  asked  a  shopkeeper  for 
the  reason ;  like  most  foreigners  of  the  Latin  race,  he  first 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  then  told  us  he  only  knew  that  the 
people  who  had  money  enough  to  go  to  Montevideo  never  came 
back,  and  only  those  without  money  were  left,  so  his  business 
did  not  flourish.  The  main  plaza  was  a  shady,  quiet  place  with 
plenty  of  benches  about  under  the  trees  and  a  band  stand.  A 
man  who  was  busy  putting  a  fresh  coat  of  paint  on  the  benches 
told  us  he  was  getting  ready  for  the  summer — one  month  of 
that  delightful  season  had  already  flown — and  that  every  other 
evening  a  band  composed  of  some  of  the  youths  of  the  town 
used  the  stand  and  gave  free  concerts. 

The  church  faced  the  plaza,  and  we  walked  in  at  the  open 
door.  It  was  large  and  the  air  felt  cool,  vault-like,  and  pleas- 
ant after  the  burning  sun.  The  altars  already  built  were  plain 
and  poor,  while  a  statue  of  St.  Joseph  standing  on  a  dry-goods 
box  had  a  small  money  box  nailed  up  near  it,  with  a  printed 
request  that  you  contribute  something  toward  furnishing  him  a 
suitable  altar  that  he  might  be  properly  worshipped.  A  few 
roughly-made  confessionals  stood  near  the  base  of  the  columns 
that  supported  the  roof,  and  a  pail  of  water  with  a  sprinkler  in 
it  occupied  one  of  them.  A  small  boy  had  been  at  work  with 
the  sprinkler  wetting  the  floor,  but  just  then  he  was  occupied  by 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  81 

a  game  of  marbles  outside,  and  only  returned  when  a  priest  put 
his  head  out  of  a  door  near  the  high  altar  and  repeatedly  called 
"  Pedro  !  "  The  priest  retreated  when  he  saw  us,  and  the  boy 
stood  some  time  struggling  with  his  inclination  to  follow  us 
about  rather  than  return  to  his  work.  Chairs  were  standing  in 
the  center  aisle  in  great  confusion,  as  if  the  congregation  had 
but  lately  left,  and  in  front  of  one  of  them  lay  a  tiny  pair  of 
shoes  and  stockings,  just  where  some  impatient  youngster  had 
kicked  them  off. 

Walking  to  the  river,  which  bears  the  same  name  as  the  town, 
we  wandered  for  some  time  in  a  grove  along  its  banks,  picking 
wild  flowers  and  admiring  the  pretty  stream.  Here  and  there 
were  fishermen,  and  we  hoped  every  minute  to  see  a  finny  prize 
hauled  out ;  but  as  none  came  we  finally  engaged  an  elderly 
disciple  of  Izaak  Walton,  with  balloon  breeches,  in  conversa- 
tion. He  was  an  enthusiastic  sport,  and  the  yarns  he  spun  us 
about  the  size  of  the  fish  he  had  hauled  out  of  that  brook  would 
have  astonished  me  if  I  had  not  been  used  to  fishermen's  yarns- 
at  home.  It  was  a  lovely  cool  spot  to  stay  in,  so  we  encouraged 
him  to  talk,  and  imperil  the  future  of  his  soul  until  a  distant 
whistle  warned  us  to  make  our  bows,  express  our  thanks  and 
hurry  to  the  station,  where  we  found  a  train  that  whirled  us 
back  to  Montevideo. 

Another  day  we  started  for  the  town  of  Piedras  to  visit  an 

ostrich  farm  near  there.     There  is  a  small  ostrich — called  by  the 

6 


82  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

natives  Nandu — which  abound  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
continent  of  South  America.  They  are  as  inferior  to  the 
African  bird  in  feathers  as  in  size,  but  have  long  been  hunted 
with  the  lolas,  their  skins  making  pretty  rugs  and  the  feathers 
the  finest  of  dusters.  When  tracts  of  land  were  fenced  in  for 
the  purpose  of  stocking  with  cattle  a  greater  or  less  number  of 
these  birds  were  confined,  and  the  owners  of  the  estancias  tried 
to  improve  the  breed  by  importing  some  of  the  large  African 
birds.  They  would  not  mate,  however,  and  the  estancieros 
had  to  content  themselves  with  keeping  an  eye  on  the  herds  in 
the  bad  seasons  and  seeing  that  only  a  certain  number  were 
killed  every  year,  for  whose  skins  they  get  one  dollar  each,  on 
an  average.  The  farm  near  Piedras  is  of  African  birds  entirely, 
and  is  owned  by  an  Italian,  Senor  Sapello  by  name,  who  for- 
merly raised  horses,  and  when  he  heard  of  the  Zulu  war,  he 
filled  a  ship  with  his  cattle  and  sailed  with  them  for  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  He  found  a  ready  market  with  the  English  for 
his  wares,  and  wrhile  visiting  the  town  saw  some  young  birds 
and  visited  a  feather  exchange,  and,  seeing  large  profits  in  the 
business,  he  bought  a  few  pairs  of  chicks  for  $300  a  pair,  and 
returning  to  Uruguay  started  the  farm,  which  pays  him 
splendidly.  From  the  station  a  ten  minutes'  drive  brings  one 
to  his  gate.  This  the  driver  opens,  and  thence  the  road  leads 
to  a  second  gate.  This  was  locked,  but  in  answer  to  a  lusty 
pull  at  the  bell  a  peon  came,  who  smilingly  led  us  through  a 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  83 

grove  of  eucalyptus  trees  up  to  the  large  one-storied  house,  em- 
bowered in  grapevines  growing  on  iron  trellises.  Mr.  Sapello 
and  his  two  sons  received  us  most  kindly,  answering  all  our 
questions  with  the  greatest  care,  and  seemed  to  feel  quite  repaid 
by  the  interest  we  took.  There  are  now  150  pairs  of  grown 
birds  all  kept  as  near  the  house  as  possible  for  convenience  in 
attending  to  their  simple  wants.  All  are  natives  of  the  place 
except  the  first  few  pairs,  and  several  have  been  sold.  Each 
pair  have  about  an  eighth  of  an  acre  to  themselves,  which  is 
enclosed  by  a  high  wire  fence,  while  inside  there  are  several 
trees,  grass,  and  a  small  wooden  hut.  They  retire  into  the 
latter  at  night  and  a  peon  closes  the  door,  thus  securing  them 
from  prowling  dogs.  The  trees  are  for  shade,  which  seemed 
very  grateful  to  them  the  hot  day  that  we  were  there,  as  they 
not  only  stood  in  it  but  fanned  their  bodies  with  their  wings, 
looking  like  ballet  dancers  with  fluffily-dressed  bodies  and  bare 
legs.  They  stand  from  six  to  ten  feet  high,  and  when  the 
feathers  are  plucked  so  one  may  see  the  size  of  the  body,  they 
appear  all  legs  and  neck.  The  legs  are  entirely  destitute  of 
feathers  or  hair  and  their  owners  brand  them  on  the  hip.  The 
neck  has  short,  gray,  hair-like  feathers,  and  the  large  brown  eyes 
quite  redeem  the  small,  flat  head,  giving  them  an  air  of  intelli- 
gence. The  body  of  the  male  is  covered  by  black  feathers, 
with  long,  white  plumes  on  the  wings,  and  gray  ones  on  the 
tail.  The  females  are  gray,  instead  of  black,  and  have  the  same 


84  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

plumes.  They  are  about  the  same  size  as  their  mates,  and  each 
bird  averages  twenty-five  long  white  plumes  to  a  wing,  besides 
those  from  the  tail,  and  a  varying  number  of  medium  length 
that  can  be  taken  from  the  body. 

They  lay,  as  a  rule,  two  eggs  a  month,  which  are  at  once 
taken  from  them  and  placed  in  the  incubator,  which  is  in  a 
long  low  building  kept  at  an  even  temperature  by  hot  water 
pipes.  After  ten  days  the  egg  is  placed  in  front  of  a  strong 
ray  of  light,  when  a  dark  spot  will  show  if  the  chick  is  form- 
ing ;  if  not,  the  egg  is  blown  and  the  shell  kept  to  give  a 
visitor.  They  hatch  after  forty-two  days,  when  the  bird  is 
about  the  size  of  a  bantam,  covered  with  soft  brown  feathers. 
They  live  in  hovers  a  month  or  two,  carefully  fed  with  chopped 
alfalfa,  and  are  then  kept  in  a  yard  until  large  enough  to  be  put 
out  in  pairs.  Full  growth  is  attained  about  a  year  after  hatching, 
and  from  then  on  they  are  plucked  every  six  months.  As  they  are 
strong  and  pugnacious,  the  feathers  could  not  be  pulled  without 
injury  were  the  bird  left  free,  so  each  one  in  turn  is  driven  into 
a  small  box  and  the  door  closed  behind  it.  Just  at  the  height 
of  the  body  there  are  small  doors  on  each  side,  and  by  opening 
them  the  feathers  are  reached  without  danger,  only  the  small 
ones  are  pulled,  the  others  being  cut  off  to  give  as  little  pain  as 
possible.  The  feathers  are  boxed  and  shipped  to  a  regular 
agent  in  Paris,  who  returns  large  sums  for  them.  The  birds 
are  fed  on  alfalfa,  never  get  sick,  and  live  a  long  while. 


XL 


CLOSING     CEREMONIES    OF    A    CONGRESS    OF 
SOUTHERN  REPUBLICS. 

* 

A.  NOVEL  AND  BRILLIANT  SCENE — SOME  OF  THE  NOTABLE 
PERSONS  PRESENT — FINE  NAVAL  DISPLAY — MARKETS  OF 
MONTEVIDEO — HOW  THE  POLICEMEN  ARE  FOUND  WHEN 
WANTED. 

FLOWERS  were  plenty  and  cheap  all  about  Montevideo,  and 
they  were  used  in  the  greatest  profusion  upon  all  occasions. 
Set  pieces  were  the  favorites,  and  I  remember  the  day  after  a 
wedding  seeing  two  carts  loaded  with  floral  offerings,  being 
sent  to  decorate  the  church  that  the  bride  attended — tables  a 
yard  or  more  high  and  as  large  across,  easels  with  large  shields, 
the  whole  some  five  to  six  feet  high ;  lyres,  hearts,  harps,  and 
wreaths,  all  of  astonishing  dimensions,  entirely  covered  with 
lovely  flowers.  At  funerals  the  hearse  would  be  all  overhung 
with  enormous  wreaths,  with  fluttering  ribbons,  on  which  were 
stamped  the  name  of  the  donor,  some  tribute  of  affection  or  of 
friendship.  The  quintas — as  houses  in  the  suburbs  and  country 


86  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

are  called — are  surrounded  by  spaces  filled  with  fruit  trees  and 
flowers,  and  the  latter  are  plucked  and  worn  at  all  times. 

The  grandest  display  I  ever  saw  was  one  February  day, 
when,  by  invitation,  we  went  to  the  Solis  Theater  to  see  the 
closing  ceremonies  of  an  international  congress  of  South 
American  republics.  The  Solis  is  a  large  yellow  building,  set 
well  back  from  the  street,  with  a  graveled  space  in  front ;  and 
this  was  deeply  covered  with  branches  of  eucalyptus,  while  the 
entrance  steps  disappeared  beneath  carpets.  The  interior  is 
like  that  of  most  Spanish  theaters.  On  the  floor  are  the 
parquet  or  orchestra  chairs,  with  five  galleries  rising  above,  the 
first  three  divided  off  into  boxes — a  grand  box  for  the  President 
over  the  door,  and  in  one  of  the  tiers  several  boxes  looking 
like  bird-cages,  with  gilded  lattices  in  front,  these  being  for  the 
use  of  any  one  in  mourning  who  wishes  to  attend  the  play 
unseen.  The  fourth  gallery  is  the  cazuela,  for  ladies  who  came 
unaccompanied  by  gentlemen,  and  the  fifth  is  here  called 
paraiso,  or  "  paradise." 

The  theater  is  large  and  the  decorations  are  simple,  but 
at  this  time  the  whole  interior  was  draped  with  blue  and 
white  cambric,  while  over  these  drapings  were  hundreds  of 
festoons  of  natural  flowers,  row  after  TOW  of  them,  filling  the 
air  with  a  delicious  fragrance.  The  curtains  of  the  boxes  were 
looped  back  with  bouquets,  and  on  the  stage,  which  was 
covered  with  a  plain  red  carpet,  were  huge  bunches  of  potted 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  87 

palms.  In  the  rear  was  a  large  stand  of  arms  and  flags,  mirrors 
were  set  about  the  sides,  and  in  front  \vas  a  semicircle  of  thir- 
teen chairs  for  the  members  of  the  congress. 

The  audience  was  most  brilliant.  In  the  state  box,  in  two 
large  arm-chairs,  sat  President  Tajes,  of  Uruguay,  and  Presi- 
dent Celman,  of  the  Argentine.  The  latter  was  the  guest  of 
the  nation,  having  come  over  for  this  special  ceremony,  arriving 
in  state,  accompanied  by  his  men-of-war,  and  received  in  great 
style  by  all  the  foreign  ships  in  the  harbor  :  but,  thanks  to  a 
pampero,  he  was  too  sick  to  appreciate  it.  He  is  a  slight,  pale, 
colorless  man,  of  medium  height,  with  light  brown  hair,  close 
trimmed,  full  beard,  watery  blue  eyes,  and  expressionless  face. 
He  wore  citizens'  evening  dress,  with  the  national  baldric  of  his 
country  under  his  coat.  Tajes  was  also  slight,  but  with  broad 
shoulders  and  a  military  carriage  that  showed  off  well  his  gold- 
embroidered  general's  uniform.  He  has  jet-black  eyes,  hair, 
moustache  and  imperial,  and  sallow  skin,  while  altogether  the 
expression  of  his  face  was  not  amiable,  but  rather  tartarish  ;  yet 
it  had  character,  and  he  looked  twice  the  man  his  guest  did. 
He  wore  the  national  baldric  outside  his  coat.  These  dignita- 
ries were  surrounded  by  a  glittering  throng  of  diplomats  in  full 
uniform  and  military  men  in  attendance.  Most  of  the  boxes  were 
rilled  by  men  wearing  uniforms,  and  the  thin  summer  dresses  of 
the  ladies  were  bright  in  color,  the  whole  making  a  brilliant 
setting  for  the  two  or  three  civilians,  whose  simple  dress  looked 


88  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

strangely  prominent.  Those  showing  most  prominently,  because 
nearest  the  throne,  were  the  Vice-President  of  Uruguay,  and 
Senor  Brizuela,  representative  of  the  republic  of  Paraguay. 

As  soon  as  the  Presidents  were  seated  the  thirteen  members 
of  the  congress  filed  in  and  took  their  places,  Garcia  Lagos, 
minister  of  foreign  affairs,  in  the  center,  with  Quirna  Costa  on 
his  right.  All  rose  to  their  feet  as  the  orchestra  began  the 
national  hymn  of  the  Argentine,  and  remained  so  until  it  was 
finished  and  the  Uruguayan  had  succeeded  it.  Then  we  seated 
ourselves  and  Senor  Lagos  rose  and  read  a  short  paper,  welcom- 
ing President  Celman,  and  briefly  touching  upon  the  work  of 
the  congress.  To  all  the  natural  dignity  of  his  race,  Senor 
Lagos  adds  a  noble  face,  fine  voice,  large  body,  and  a  mass  of 
longish  white  hair,  which  gives  him  a  leonine  appearance. 
There  was  no  applause  When  he  finished.  Evidently  it  was  not 
the  proper  thing,  as  Quirna  Costa,  of  the  Argentine,  who  fol- 
lowed him  with  an  excellent  paper,  also  took  his  seat  amid 
profound  silence. 

Rising  once  again,  we  all  listened  to  the  repetition  of  the 
national  hymns,  the  two  Presidents  shook  hands,  and  then  we  all 
left.  No  expense  had  been  spared. 

The  ceremonies  were  short,  and  the  whole  affair  was  delight- 
fully dignified ;  such  a  charming  contrast  to  many  scenes  I  had 
witnessed  at  home,  where  noise,  vehemence,  and  hilarity  take 
the  place  of  dignity,  until  it  really  seemed  as  if  our  public  men, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  89 

when  assembled  for  business,  were  but  a  pack  of  schoolboys  out 
on  a  lark.  President  Celman  staid  seven  days  in  all,  and  was 
entertained  all  the  while,  the  whole  city  enjoying  a  holiday.  It 
was  a  pity  he  was  too  sea-sick  to  see  his  reception  afloat,  for  it 
was  an  impressive  sight. 

Early  on  the  appointed  day  all  the  foreign  men-of-war  in  the 
harbor  got  up  steam  and,  going  outside,  anchored  so  as  to  form 
a  lane  for  the  guest  to  enter  the  port  by.  A  strong  wind  sprang 
up  about  noon,  and  as  it  was  four  o'clock  before  the  Argentine 
fleet  appeared,  we  were  by  that  time  bobbing  about  right  merrily  ; 
but  the  breeze  blew  the  flags  out  finely  and  the  bright  sunshine 
showed  the  men  manning  the  yards,  the  shining  guns,  and  all 
the  beauties  of  fighting  ships  to  perfection.  First  in  the  pro- 
cession came  the  three  Uruguayan  gun-boats,  dancing  along  and 
looking  like  yachts  with  their  fine  lines ;  then  the'  Argentine 
fleet,  Celman  on  board  the  large  iron-clad  Patagones,  which  looks 
more  like  a  fort  adrift  than  anything  else.  As  she  passed  the 
yards  were  manned,  marines  paraded  on  the  quarter-deck  and  a 
national  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  fired  from  each  ship, 
each  gun  being  returned  from  the  Almirante  Brown,  so  for  a 
time  we  had  all  the  scenic  effects  of  a  naval  battle  without  any 
of  its  disasters.  Celman  was  taken  ashore  in  an  open  launch, 
which  was  fitted  in  blue  and  white  velvet  for  the  occasion,  and 
was  well  soaked  with  spray  before  reaching  the  wharf,  where 
Tajes,  a  number  of  dignitaries,  and  many  people  were  waiting 


90  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

to  welcome  him.  Several  balls  were  given,  the  finest  being 
those  of  Saenz  Pena,  Argentine  minister  to  Uruguay,  and  the 
Uruguayan  Club,  the  latter  throwing  open  its  large  new  marble 
building  on  the  Martriz  plaza. 

There  are  some  curious  scenes  in  the  streets  here,  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  being  the  Sunday  morning  market  on  the  Eigh- 
teenth of  July  Street,  from  Plaza  Independencia  to  Cagancha, 
about  one-half  mile.  By  midnight  on  Saturday  the  carts  begin 
to  arrive,  and  the  venders  place  their  wares  upon  the  sidewalk 
or  on  pieces  of  cloth  spread  upon  the  pavement  of  the  street. 
At  daylight  the  scene  opens,  and  all  good  marketers  are  there  to 
buy  the  fresh  country  vegetables,  chickens,  geese,  kids,  baskets 
of  native  manufacture,  braided  fans  to  keep  alive  charcoal  fires, 
pots  of  red  earthenware,  whips  of  rawhide,  cheap  laces,  wax 
matches  sold  by  tiny  Italians,  candles  and  quantities  of  flowers 
in  pots.  The  countrymen  in  their  ponchos,  the  women  in  bright 
colored  calicoes,  the  children  tumbling  about  everywhere,  and 
the  noise  of  their  bargaining — all  is  interesting,  and  it  only  lasts 
a  few  hours,  for  by  eight  o'clock  the  street  must  be  cleared, 
and  it  is,  every  bit  of  rubbish  even  having  vanished. 

The  policemen  wear  a  uniform,  and  a  sort  of  shako  on 
their  heads.  They  are  armed  with  a  short  two-edged  knife 
or  sword,  called  a  machete,  which  they  do  not  hesitate  to 
use  when  arrest  is  resisted.  They  also  have  whistles,  which 
they  often  sound,  but  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  out  why. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  91 

I  frequently  saw  them  sitting  on  little  stools  resting,  and  at 
night  they  place  a  hand-lantern  in  the  center  of  a  street 
and  stay  near  it,  so  if  you  need  a  policeman  you  run  for 
the  nearest  lantern  in  the  street,  and  there  one  is  sure  to 
be.  Chickens  are  carried  about  in  untanned  round  hide 
baskets  that  have  covers,  one  slung  each  side  of  a  mule, 
and  it  must  be  uncommonly  warm  and  uncomfortable  for 
them. 

On  every  corner  are  found  changadores,  or  porters,  who 
wear  blouses,  soft  fishermen' s  caps,  and  carry  a  piece  of 
stout  rope.  They  will  carry  anything  anywhere  one  wishes, 
and  charge  enormously  for  doing  so.  They  belong  to  a 
guild  and  draw  $2  every  day  as  their  wages,  turning  in 
whatever  they  have  received  during  the  day  to  a  collector, 
who  visits  each  one  every  night.  In  the  suburbs,  especially 
near  the  foot  of  the  mount,  there  are  many  saladeros, 
where  large  numbers  of  horned  cattle  are  killed  daily  during 
the  summer  season,  for  the  hides  and  flesh,  the  latter  being 
made  into  jerked  beef,  quantities  of  which  are  sold  to  Brazil 
and  all  through  the  interior.  They  also  kill  whole  herds 
of  horses  for  their  skins  alone.  Driving  large  country  carts, 
drawn  by  patient  oxen,  whose  eyes  seem  starting  from  their 
sockets  with  the  pain  of  the  heavy  beam-like  yoke  laid 
upon  their  brains  and  lashed  to  their  horns,  one  sees  coun- 
trymen in  the  present  dress  of  the  native  peasant.  It  con- 


92  ALONG  SHORE*WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

sists  of  shoes  of  canvas,  with  soles  made  of  rope ;  very 
full  trousers,  plaited  into  bands  around  the  waist  and  ankles ; 
a  woolen  or  cotton  shirt,  according  to  the  season  ;  any  kind 
of  a  hat,  and  always  the  poncho,  which  is  a  square  of 
cloth  having  a  slit  in  the  middle  for  the  head  to  pass 
through. 


XII. 


HOTELS  IN  MONTEVIDEO— THE   FAVORITE  BATH- 
ING   RESORTS. 

HAMIREZ  AND  POCITOS  THE  MOST  POPULAR  BEACHES — THE 
BEAUTIFUL  CEMETERIES  OF  BUCEO — STREET  CAR  LINES 
EXTENDING  TO  ALL  THE  SUBURBS — NOTES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

WHEN  we  asked  for  hotels  in  Montevideo,  two  were  men- 
tioned as  being  the  very  best  in  town,  yet  the  way  they 
are  spoken  of  is  unique.  It  seems  to  suggest  two  horns 
of  a  dilemma,  and  nothing  else.  At  the  Pyramides  one  is 
promised  a  good  table  and  small  rooms ;  at  the  Oriental, 
good  rooms  and  poor  table.  We  thought  any  rooms  would 
seem  large  after  state-rooms  on  board  ship,  so  we  tried  the 
Pyramides.  We  found  the  rooms  low,  small,  stuffy, — moldy 
is  a  better  word, — the  table  fair;  charge  $3.50  a  day,  and 
the  ordinary  conveniences  of  life  so  badly  attended  to  that 
we  left  in  a  week.  Next  we  tried  the  Oriental,  and  spent 
many  months  there,  always  welcomed  and  sped  by  handsome 


94  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

old  Don  Ramon,  whose  manners  and  Spanish  made  one  think 
of  the  priest  he  was  educated  for,  but  when  you  saw  his 
troop  of  children  about  him,  and  the  happiness  in  his  face 
as  he  petted  and  spoiled  them  all,  you  felt  the  world  had 
gained  if  the  Church  had  lost,  and  that  he  was  truly  happy. 
His  hotel  is  said  to  be  the  only  one  where  a  lady  can  live  alone 
without  being  annoyed.  However  that  may  be,  she  is  certainly 
safe  at  the  Oriental.  Ladies  eat  in  the  general  dining-room 
without  being  spoken  to  or  unduly  stared  at.  It  was  built  for 
a  hotel,  is  three  stories  and  a  basement  in  height,  of  brick, 
covered  with  adobe  and  a  yellow  wash.  The  blinds  are  painted 
green,  and  there  are  numerous  flagstaffs  on  the  roof,  as  when 
he  has  foreign  ministers  with  him  Don  Ramon  keeps  the  flag  of 
their  country  flying,  and  I  have  seen  as  many  as  four  fluttering 
in  the  breeze  at  one  time.  All  windows  go  to  the  floor  so  as  to 
give  plenty  of  air,  and  there  are  cracks  all  around  them,  as  well 
as  around  the  doors.  It  is  built  on  the  corner  of  Piedras  and 
Solis  streets,  and  occupies  a  square  plot.  Inside  there  are  four 
inner  courts,  or  patios,  which  reach  to  the  roof,  arid  are  covered 
with  glass,  awnings  also  being  stretched  in  summer  to  keep  out 
the  sun.  Around  three  of  them  are  the  public  rooms  and 
guest  chambers,  the  fourth  being  given  up  to  kitchen,  laundry, 
and  servants'  rooms.  Around  each  one,  at  every  story,  there 
runs  a  narrow-railed  balcony,  which  gives  access  to  the  rooms, 
and  these  balconies  are  reached  by  a  marble  staircase.  The 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  95 

azotea — roof — is  flat  and  used  to  dry  clothes  on,  but  on  most  of 
the  private  houses  these  flat  roofs  are  used  as  the  broad  piazzas 
of  homes  in  the  Southern  States  are.  The  ceilings  of  the  rooms 
are  high,  and  the  floor  space  all  one  can  desire.  The  floors  are 
covered  with  carpet,  and  if  one  looks  after  the  chamber-maid 
she  will  keep  the  room  clean  and  the  plentiful  furniture  dusted. 
The  chamber-maid  is  a  luxury  in  South  America,  and  the 
Oriental  only  boasts  of  one,  who  has  charge  of  all  the  rooms  in 
which  there  are  ladies,  the  others  being  looked  out  for  by  two 
men.  The  windows  of  the  rooms  next  the  street,  as  I  said 
before,  reach  to  the  floor  and  open  on  to  narrow  balconies  ;  in 
summer  these  stand  open  day  and  night,  yet  one  is  never 
troubled  by  the  neighbors,  and  a  robbery  is  unheard  of.  The 
inside  rooms,  which  are  by  far  the  more  numerous,  get  light 
and  air  through  a  hybrid  door-window,  that  is,  a  door  with  panes 
of  glass  in  it.  Inside,  if  guests  wish  light  and  air,  they  must 
sacrifice  privacy,  and  vice  versa.  The  balconies  and  passage- 
ways are  floored  with  brick  and  the  walls  whitewashed.  The 
dining-room  is  on  the  ground  floor,  and  receives  light  and  air 
from  three  glass  doors  into  the  patio  and  one  into  a  passage, 
and  it  was  often  so  dark  we  could  not  see  to  read.  The  floor  of 
wood,  inlaid,  was  very  nice  in  summer ;  but  in  winter,  as  there 
is  no  fire  in  the  hotel  outside  of  the  kitchen,  one  often  sighs  for 
the  warmth  of  a  carpet,  yet,  noticing  the  native  habit  of  ex- 
pectorating, flinging  cigarette  stumps  and  matches  on  the  floor, 


96  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

one  becomes  reconciled  to  a  floor  that  can  be  scrubbed.  The 
food  is  good,  and  after  one  becomes  used  to  the  garlic  and 
onions  it  is  palatable.  Onions  and  garlic  are  in  every  dish,  and 
there  is  not  the  slightest  use  in  remonstrating.  Neither  for 
love  nor  for  money  will  these  cooks  leave  it  out. 

I  have  described  the  Oriental  at  such  length  because  it  was 
the  best  we  found,  and  because  it  is  typical.  The  slipshod  way 
in  which  everything  was  managed,  no  housekeeper,  no  head- 
waiter,  all  the  servants  doing  as  they  choose,  the  guests  putting 
up  with  everything  and  enjoying  themselves ;  Don  Ramon 
polite,  smiling,  always  ready  to  pour  oil  on  the  troubled  waters  ; 
the  large,  airy  building,  the  whiteness  of  marble  and  white- 
wash everywhere,  the  waste  of  space  in  the  patios,  and  the 
many  dark  rooms, — all  were  typical. 

In  summer  the  place  was  a  beehive,  for  it  is  the  fashion  in 
Buenos  Ayres  to  go  to  Montevideo  for  the  baths,  the  latter  city 
being  so  much  nearer  the  ocean  that  the  water  is  somewhat  salt. 
Family  after  family  would  arrive,  and  the  size  of  some  of  them 
was  astonishing — papa,  mamma,  any  number  of  children  up  to 
a  dozen,  cousins,  aunts,  uncles,  and  all  sorts  of  relations.  They 
would  take  a  few  large  rooms  and  stow  themselves  away,  only 
they  and  the  chamber-maid  knew  how.  They  would  fill  the 
house  to  overflowing,  and  then  the  patios  were  delightful 
places.  All  were  always  jolly  and  every  one  did  as  they 
pleased.  The  pretty  girls  wore  lovely  toilets  and  were  always 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  97 

ready  for  a  chat  or  a  walk,  provided  it  was  not  a  man  who 
approached  them.  If  one  of  the  last-mentioned  came  to  call 
they  would  sit  as  demure  as  kittens  and  let  mamma  or  aunt  do 
the  conversing,  putting  in  here  and  there  a  word  or  smile,  but 
not  many.  In  the  early  afternoon  their  very  best  frocks  were 
donned,  along  with  their  gayest  hats  and  prettiest  jewelry,  the 
children  would  grasp  pail  and  shovel,  and  there  would  be  an 
exodus  for  the  bathing  beaches. 

There  are  two  favorite  places,  Ramirez  and  Pocitos,  either 
only  to  be  reached  by  a  long  ride  in  the  street  cars.  Ramirez  is 
the  nearer,  and  after  a  t\veiity  minutes'  dash  along  the  streets, 
through  soft  warm  air  and  clouds  of  dust,  one  arrives  at  a  long 
pier,  the  shore  end  of  which  has  a  restaurant,  band-stand,  and 
little  tables  set  about  on  a  platform.  At  the  other  end  are  bath 
houses,  with  ladders  leading  down  into  the  water,  and  these 
were  the  favorite  resorts  for  those  who  could  swim.  On  one 
side  of  the  pier  were  a  number  of  bathing  machines,  which 
were  drawn  in  and  out  of  the  water  by  mules,  and  into  these 
the  pretty  girls,  with  their  dainty,  gayly-colored  gowns,  would 
flock,  be  drawn  out  into  water,  and,  when  pulled  in  again, 
would  emerge  with  everything  in  perfect  order  and  their 
crimps  intact.  It  was  a  puzzle,  until  I  was  told  that  they  never 
went  into  the  water  at  all,  but  made  the  excuse  to  go  to  the 
beach,  and  afterward  sit  around  the  tables,  taking  some  light 

refreshment,  and  having  their  toilets  and  themselves  admired 

7 


98  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

by  the  men,  old  and  young,  who  flocked  there,  and  who  are 
obliged  to  bathe  on  quite  another  part  of  the  beach.  Of  course 
there  was  a  tambo — cow-shed.  Tambos  abounded  in  the  city 
and  in  all  the  suburbs,  for  the  natives  like  milk  hot  from  the 
cow,  and  to  get  it  they  will  go  into  a  cow-shed,  sit  there  among 
all  the  odors  and  flies,  and  drink  milk  which  they  see  milked. 

It  takes  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  to  reach  Pocitos,  but 
when  reached  it  is  quite  a  little  town,  and  the  beach  is  really  a 
good  sandy  one.  The  restaurant  is  on  a  hotel  piazza,  and  there 
is  a  pier  for  promenaders.  A  number  of  people  of  Montevideo 
have  country  places  here,  but  the  majority  of  visitors  stay  in 
the  city,  and  come  down  each  day  for  their  dip. 

Not  much  farther  down  the  coast  are  the  cemeteries  of  Buceo, 
one  used  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  the  other  owned  by  an 
English  company  and  open  to  Protestants.  They  are  lovely 
places,  lying,  as  they  do,  on  a  slope  of  land  with  a  lovely  view 
of  surrounding  plains  and  boundless  river.  Then  there  are  so 
many  flowers,  great  masses  of  them  all  about,  and  borders, 
stretching  down  between  the  rows  of  silent  dead.  It  is  horrible 
to  have  any  one  we  have  been  friendly  with  buried  far  from 
home,  quite  among  strangers ;  but  if  one  could  ever  be  recon- 
ciled to  it,  it  would  be  in  the  quiet,  lovely,  flower-decked 
cemetery  of  Buceo.  The  street-car  lines  extend  for  miles  out 
into  the  country  in  all  directions.  Horses  are  cheap,  so  three 
or  four  are  put  to  a  car  and  driven  to  death.  They  go  at  a 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  99 

great  pace,  and  are  urged  by  a  whip  long  enough  to  wrap  around 
the  necks  of  the  leaders.  Distances  are  great,  but  I  have  seen 
the  poor  beasts  abused  until  I  preferred  to  get  out  and  walk. 
For  any  but  the  swellest  funerals,  and  even  for  some  of  those, 
it  is  customary  to  hire  street  cars  for  the  mourners,  and  one 
often  sees  a  hearse,  with  perhaps  one  carriage  containing  the 
immediate  family,  trotting  along  the  streets  heading  a  proces- 
sion of  street  cars  filled  with  men  smoking  cigarettes.  Women 
do  not  go  to  funerals,  and  the  men  are  always  smoking  their 
eternal  cigarettes.  As  a  friend  remarked,  it  was  only  needed 
for  the  corpse  to  sit  up  and  smoke,  to  complete  the  picture  and 
make  all  hands  happy. 


xm. 

THE  CARNIVAL  SEASON  IN  THE  GAY  CAPITAL  OF 

URUGUAY. 

DECORATIONS  AND  PROCESSIONS,  THE  BATTLE  OF  FLOWERS — 
PRIVATE  AND  PUBLIC  BALLS — AN  EVENING  AT  THE  SPANISH 
CLUB — MUSIC  AND  OTHER  ATTRACTIONS  AT  THE  CITY  PARK. 

THE  three  days  before  Ash  Wednesday  ushers  in  Lent 
are  given  over  in  Montevideo  to  the  delights  and  license 
of  the  carnival,  but  many  days  before  that  the  city  was 
filled  with  preparations,  and  the  daily  papers  with  announce- 
ments and  comments.  Eighteenth  of  July,  Twenty-fifth 
of  May,  Sarandi,  and  parts  of  Colon  streets,  Independencia, 
Constitucion,  and  Zabala  plazas  were  decorated  by  the  city,  as 
along  them  the  daily  procession  was  to  pass.  Every  few  feet 
on  each  side  of  these  streets,  next  the  curb,  a  paving-stone  was 
removed,  and  one  end  of  a  long,  slender,  square  pole  driven  into 
the  place  thus  made.  These  poles  were  wound  with  blue  and 
white  cambric  ;  from  pole  to  pole  were  hung  rows  of  small  bunt- 
ing flags  of  every  conceivable  shape  and  hue.  This  made  two 


ALONG  SHOBE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  101 

bright  lines  of  color  by  day,  while  a  row  of  Japanese  lanterns 
hung  under  the  flags  and,  illuminated  each  evening,  gave  color 
and  brightness  at  night.  Across  the  street  arches  of  gas  jets 
were  placed,  and  there  must  have  been  several  thousands  of  them. 
In  the  plazas  there  were  the  same  decorations,  an  addition  being 
the  substitution  of  blue  and  white  glass  globes  for  the  every-day 
white  ones.  Blue  and  white  are  the  national  colors,  the  flag 
being  composed  of  narrow  horizontal  alternate  stripes  of  the  two 
colors,  a  white  field  in  the  upper  corner  next  the  staff  having  a 
yellow  sun  upon  it. 

The  store  windows  all  displayed  a  goodly  assortment  of 
pomitos,  which  are  lead  tubes  with  caps,  like  those  that  oil 
paints  come  in,  only  very  much  larger.  They  are  filled  with 
cheap  scented  water,  and  by  giving  them  a  good  squeeze  one 
could  throw  a  jet  of  the  water,  with  considerable  accuracy, 
about  six  feet.  Everything,  except  these  and  flowers,  it  was 
strictly  forbidden  to  throw,  yet  we  were  advised  to  seek  the 
seclusion  of  our  rooms,  and  stay  there  during  King  Folly's 
reign,  as  dirty  water  and  ancient  eggs  would  be  used  as  much  as 
ever.  That,  however,  was  not  our  idea  of  seeing  foreign  people 
and  their  ways,  so  Sunday  we  put  on  some  old  clothes  and 
sallied  forth.  First  we  took  a  ride  around  in  the  street  cars, 
and  saw  groups  of  maskers  in  their  Sunday  best,  all  laughing 
and  having  a  good  time.  Here  and  there  were  rooms  where 
societies,  in  fancy  dress,  were  gathering  before  joining  the  proces- 


102  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

sion  ;  but  beyond  one  small  boy,  who  was  filling  a  rubber  squirt 
at  a  mud-puddle  in  the  street,  there  was  nothing  alarming, 
so  we  got  out,  and,  making  our  way  to  the  Eighteenth  of  July 
Street,  found  the  broad  thoroughfare  crowded.  Prizes  had  been 
offered  for  the  finest  decorated  house  along  the  route,  while  in 
the  procession  the  finest  ornamented  car  belonging  to  a  society, 
the  best  decorated  carriage,  the  finest  horses,  and  prettiest 
costume  were  all  to  be  rewarded.  The  crowd  was  good-natured 
and  merry  ;  the  maskers  were  quite  plenty,  very  few  in  fancy 
dress,  nearly  all  wearing  dominos  ;  pomitos  were  plentiful  and 
freely  used,  the  neck  and  face  being  the  favorite  points  of  attack, 
and  woe  to  any  one  who  wore  eyeglasses  ;  they  were  wet  as 
quickly  as  dried  and  the  wearer  helpless  most  of  the  time. 

Every  house  has  one  or  more  balconies,  which  were  all  more 
or  less  gayly  decorated,  one  family  having  brought  out  all  their 
parlor  furniture,  hanging  the  curtains  on  the  outside  of  the 
windows,  the  pier  mirrors  between,  and  placing  ornaments  here 
and  there  as  they  usually  were  displayed  inside.  Mounted 
police  and  soldiers  tried  to  keep  a  passage-way  open  down  the 
center  of  the  street,  and  finally  the  procession  came.  First 
marched  a  band  of  music,  and  then  the  managers,  mounted  on 
fine  horses ;  after  these  many  societies  with  bands  of  music  here 
and  there.  The  favorite  dress  among  these  associations  was  a 
species  of  African,  consisting  of  plenty  of  black  tights,  fancy 
colored  trunk  breeches,  anklets,  armlets,  wigs  of  long  wool,  a 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  103 

big  straw  hat  hanging  on  their  back  by  strings  passed  around 
the  neck,  and  a  tin  rattle  or  wooden  clapper  in  one  hand. 

There  were  numerous  Italian  societies  and  a  band  of  bull- 
fighters— the  bull,  two  men  encased  in  an  old  hide — and  when- 
ever the  procession  halted  they  gave  a  most  comical  burlesque 
of  a  bull  fight.  One  tall  red  wagon  was  filled  with  men  dressed 
as  butterflies,  their  red  bodies  and  gracefully  waving  golden- 
gauze  wings  being  beautiful.  A  band  of  Spanish  students  were 
noticeable  ;  and  finally  came  the  citizens,  in  carriages,  headed  by 
the  President's  wife,  in  full  evening  dress,  the  vehicle  decorated 
with  the  national  colors.  Many  of  the  ladies  were  simply  in 
evening  toilets,  with  tiny  black  velvet  masks,  while  others  were 
in  fancy  costume,  some  of  the  latter  being  especially  striking. 
The  battle  of  flowers  that  day  was  on  part  of  the  Twenty-fifth 
of  May  Street,  and  a  great  many  blossoms  were  thrown  between 
the  balconies  and  carriages  during  the  hours  when  it  lasted. 
That  evening  the  illuminations  were  very  fine,  all  the  gas 
arches  and  lanterns  being  alight,  and  all  the  public  buildings 
outlined  with  tiny  flames.  There  were  crowds  of  people  in  the 
streets,  afoot  and  in  carriages,  all  good-natured,  all  using 
pomitos,  and  all  having  a  charming  time.  Even  the  small  boys, 
who  followed  every  one  that  had  a  nearly  empty  pomito,  so  as 
to  get  the  lead  case  when  thrown  away  to  sell,  were  as  jolly  as 
sandpipers,  which  is  not  generally  the  case,  children  here  being 
too  solemn  and  sedate  as  a  general  rule  to  please  me. 


104  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Monday  was  a  repetition  of  Sunday,  except  that  we  went  in 
the  evening  to  a  fine  ball  given  by  the  Spanish  Club  in  their 
roomy  quarters  on  the  Eighteenth  of  July  Street.  All  the  clubs 
give  balls  every  night  of  the  carnival,  and  there  are  besides 
many  private  and  public  balls,  but  we  were  advised  to  accept 
our  Spanish  Club  invitation  as  being  the  most  exclusive  and 
best  club  at  that  time.  Their  lofty  rooms  are  entirely  decorated 
in  the  national  colors — red  and  gold — which  make  them  very 
brilliant ;  and  large  as  they  were,  by  one  o'clock  they  were  filled 
to  suffocation,  so  the  fine  band,  hidden  among  palms,  played 
dance  music  to  no  practical  purpose.  There  were  handsome 
toilets,  but  not  among  the  maskers.  Only  ladies  were  allowed 
the  privilege  of  hiding  their  faces,  and  as  those  who  took 
advantage  of  it  never  uncovered  them,  nor  removed  their 
dominos,  there  was  no  incentive  among  them  to  fine  gowns. 
They  prefer  dominos,  as  they  cover  hair,  neck,  and  ears,  making 
identification  more  difficult.  Supper  and  fine  wines  were  served 
all  the  evening,  and  one  could  easily  see  where  the  club  spent 
$13,000  on  their  three  balls. 

The  third  evening  we  passed  at  the  Italian  legation,  the  Duke 
and  Duchess  Licignano  inviting  their  friends  and  throwing 
open  their  house  to  receive  maskers.  Many  of  the  latter  came, 
and  among  them  a  company  of  Morescas,  who  danced  an  old 
Italian  sword  dance  for  our  edification,  and  then  we  danced 
ourselves  until  Lent  came  in.  Lent  should  have  caused  the 


TIJUCA,   BRAZIL. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  105 

cessation  of  masks  and  mummery,  but  it  did  not ;  groups  in  odd 
attire  went  about  the  streets,  and  there  were  balls  every  night 

until  the  following  Monday,  when  the  decorated  wagons — with 

/ 
their  flowers  all  faded — were  brought  out  once  more  to  escort 

the  dying  King  of  Carnival  to  his  grave  in  the  Prado.  A  figure 
lay  upon  a  couch  in  one  of  the  carts ;  one  doctor  leaned  over 
him  with  a  fan,  while  another  stood  by  with  a  lot  of  instru- 
ments in  his  hands,  but  both  were  shaking  their  heads  dolefully, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  journey  he  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  and 
unceremoniously  hustled  into  a  hole  in  the  ground.  The  next 
day  the  decorations  were  removed,  the  city  resumed  its  quiet, 
gray  aspect,  and  our  ears  were  no  longer  tortured  by  the  shrill 
falsetto  tones  assumed  by  the  maskers  to  add  to  their  disguise. 
The  whole  public  cost  was  -$17,000,  $15,000  of  which  was  paid 
by  the  Government. 

The  Prado  is  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city,  which  was  once  intended  for  a  private  residence,  but  is 
now  used  as  a  city  park.  It  is  approached  under  long  lines  of 
eucalyptus  trees  and  the  grounds  are  prettily  laid  out  although 
far  from  finished.  There  is  a  sluggish  stream  that  passes  along 
one  side  and  many  fine  trees.  A  hotel  and  restaurant,  near 
which  a  band  plays  on  certain  days  in  the  week,  form  an  ending 
place  for  afternoon  drives,  and  one  of  those  curving,  endless 
railways  has  lately  been  erected.  Part  of  the  park  is  fenced  off 
and  used  by  different  societies  for  their  fetes,  which  sometimes 


106  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

last  several  days.  No  admittance  fee  is  charged,  and  the  place 
is  crowded  with  booths,  where  manufactured  or  real  curiosities 
are  exhibited,  places  where  one  may  shoot  at  a  mark,  or  listen  to 
a  concert.  Strolling  bands  of  two  or  more  musicians,  armed 
with  violins,  guitars,  or  bagpipes,  mingle  with  the  crowd  and, 
stopping  wherever  they  see  a  group  of  young  people,  soon  have 
a  circle  about  them  dancing  a  sort  of  waltz  upon  the  uneven 
turf.  But  the  great  attraction  was  always  came  con  cuero,  or 
beef  roasted  with  the  hide  on  ;  not  a  whole  animal,  but  parts  of 
it.  Placed  on  long  iron  spits  before  the  fires — which  were 
built  all  about — would  be  pieces  of  beef  with  the  hide  side  next 
the  fire,  the  whole  being  delightfully  flavored  by  the  smoke 
from  the  burning  hair  and  frizzling  hide.  The  odor  was  always 
sufficient  to  fill  me  with  disgust,  yet  it  was  very  popular, 
sometimes  even  being  served  in  the  hotel. 


XIV, 
A  BULL  FIGHT  IN  MONTEVIDEO. 

BULLS   THAT    SHOWED    FIGHT     AND     BULLS    THAT   DID     NOT — 
SOME  CRUEL   SCENES — A  DISORDERLY  ENDING. 

I  WAS  one  of  a  party  who  were  breakfasting  one  Sunday 
at  the  home  of  a  resident  American,  when  he  proposed  a  visit 
to  the  bull-ring,  to  show  his  countrywomen  the  glories  and 
horrors  of  a  fight.  Our  church  here  is  closed  for  the  present, 
waiting  the  arrival  of  a  minister  from  England;  hence  our 
religion  was  at  a  low  ebb,  and  we  accepted  his  invitation. 

We  rode  for  half  an  hour  over  as  bad  pavements  as  any 
city  in  the  world  can  show,  the  drivers  going  at  the  usual 
pace  of  about  forty  miles  to  the  hour.  However,  we  finally 
arrived  at  the  suburban  village  of  La  Union,  were  whirled  up 
to  the  outside  of  the  large  brick  bull-ring,  and  tried  to  shake 
off  some  of  the  dust,  while  our  escort  joined  a  shouting, 
surging  crowd  that  was  besieging  a  large  grated  window,  over 
which  was  the  sign,  "  Boletes  de  primera  clase  " — first  class 


108  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

tickets.  Soon  he  returned,  and  we  entered  a  low  arched 
passage,  climbed  a  flight  of  stairs,  passed  part  way  around 
the  circle,  and,  descending  as  near  the  arena  as  we  could, 
seated  ourselves  on  some  nice,  freshly  whitewashed  seats. 

The  building  in  which  we  found  ourselves  is  a  large  brick 
amphitheatre,  with  a  broad  walk  on  top,  which  is  partly 
covered  by  a  row  of  boxes  with  six  seats  in  each  and  corru- 
gated iron  roofs.  Below  these  in  unbroken  circles  are  low 
brick  seats,  capable  of  holding  10,000  people  and  occupied 
by  about  5,000  on  this  day.  Those  on  the  shady  side  were 
the  first-class  places  and  some  had  whitewashed  seats  on  them, 
while  others  had  movable  cushions,  each  man  being  handed 
one  as  he  came  in.  Below  these  seats  were  the  entrances 
and  exits  for  the  espadas,  banderilleros,  picadores,  and  bulls. 
Just  below  the  box  of  the  president  of  the  sports  was  the 
entrance  for  the  men,  and  opposite,  that  for  the  bulls.  There 
were  two  circles,  a  large  sanded  one  in  the  centre,  with  a 
strong  board  fence  some  nine  feet  high  surrounding  it  and 
several  bits  of  fence  placed  here  and  there,  just  in  front  of 
the  main  one  and  close  to  it,  for  the  men  to  hide  behind 
when  too  closely  pressed.  The  outer  circle  was  about  fifteen 
feet  wide,  and  this  was  partitioned  off  with  swinging  doors 
and  movable  fences.  The  programme  promised  us  six  bulls, 
two  of  them  imported  from  Spain,  from  the  flock  of  his 
Excellency  the  Duke  of  Veragua,  and  four  native  animals, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  109 

besides,  four  native  bulls  held  in  reserve.  -The  Spanish  bulls 
were  named  Serenity  and  Vinegar,  and  did  not  belie  their 
names.  There  were  four  espadas,  the  first  named  Joaquin 
Sanz  of  Valencia,  and  the  second  Juan  Gimenez  of  Ecija. 
There  were  three  picadores  and  seven  banderilleros,  all 
Spaniards.  The  prices  were  $10  for  a  box,  $1  for  a  seat, 
$1.50  entrance  fee  for  a  first-class  adult,  and  70  cents  for 
a  child.  The  entrance  to  the  second-class,  or  sunny  seats, 
was  $1  for  all  ages.  At  the  bottom  of  the  programme  were 
ten  announcements  by  the  management :  (1.)  To  avoid  crowd- 
ing at  the  entrances,  the  doors  will  be  opened  at  one  o'clock 
and  will  close  half  an  hour  after  the  finish,  except  in  case 
of  rainy  weather,  when  the  audience  will  be  allowed  to  remain 
longer  if  they  wish.  (2.)  No  more  bulls  will  be  fought 
than  the  programme  announces.  (3.)  No  one  will  be 
allowed  to  throw  articles  into  the  arena,  which  might  injure 
the  combatants,  and  no  obscene  language  will  be  tolerated. 
(4.)  No  one  but  employees  will  be  allowed  between  the 
barriers.  (5.)  Banderillas  of  fire  will  be  used  for  every 
bull  who  refuses  three  times  to  face  the  picadores.  (6.)  In 
case  one,  two,  or  all  the  picadores  are  injured,  the  manage- 
ment will  not  be  obliged  to  furnish  others.  (7.)  Bulls  which, 
in  judgment  of  the  president,  will  not  fight,  will  be  led  off  by 
the  bell-ox.  (8).  The  president  will  be  a  person  chosen  by 
the  management.  (9.)  If  the  performance  is  interrupted  by 


110  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

some  unforeseen  ^circumstance,  the  entrance  money  will  not 
be  refunded.  (10.)  Any  one  who  creates  a  disturbance  will 
be  handed  over  to  the  police. 

As  we  took  our  seats  the  band  was  playing  a  waltz ;  three 
mounted  picadores,  dressed  in  yellow,  with  broad-brimmed  gray 
felt  hats  and  long  steel-pointed  rods  in  their  hands,  were  sta- 
tioned around  the  circle,  equidistant,  facing  the  center.  Their 
horses  were  sorry-looking  nags,  and  two  of  them  were  blind- 
folded. Behind  each  picador  stood  a  man  in  a  jockey  suit  of 
red  and  yellow,  carrying  in  his  hand  a  cruel  rawhide  whip  to 
urge  the  horse  with  in  case  it  showed  a  faint  heart  or  refused 
to  return  to  the  attack  after  being  wounded.  In  front  of  the 
President's  box  stood  the  banderilleros  in  the  gorgeous,  beauti- 
ful dress  of  the  bull-fighter ;  their  breeches  and  jackets  a  glitter- 
ing mass  of  gold  and  silver,  the  broad-rimmed  black  hats  with 
pompons  and  loops,  the  braid  of  hair  down  their  backs  orna- 
mented with  the  peculiar  chignon-like  article  which  they 
affect ;  brilliant-colored  silk  stockings  and  low  shoes  completing 
the  dress.  Alert,  graceful,  and  composed,  they  stood  with 
their  eyes  fixed  on  the  opposite  entrance,  their  red  cloaks  held 
trailing  on  the  ground  before  them.  The  door  swung  slowly 
open,  and  out  stepped  a  fine  native  bull.  For  a  second  he 
looked  about  him  astonished,  then,  catching  sight  of  the  red 
cloaks,  he  dashed  across  the  arena,  to  be  met  by  one  of  them 
being  thrown  over  his  head  as  the  banderillero  who  held  it 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  HI 

vaulted  to  one  side,  and  snatching  his  cloak  towards  him, 
moved,  shaking  it,  to  one  side.  The  bull  turned  to  charge  for 
him  again,  when  his  eye  was  caught  by  a  picador  on  a  gray 
horse.  The  picador  saw  him  and  received  him  with  a  stab  on 
his  neck  from  the  point  of  his  lance,  but  the  charge  was  too 
impetuous,  and  the  picador  was  unhorsed,  while  the  poor  horse 
received  the  horns  of  the  bull  full  in  his  chest ;  there  was  a 
gush  of  blood  and  he  rolled  over  just  as  a  banderillero  turned 
the  bull's  attention  with  his  red  cloak  and  coaxed  him  to  the 
other  side  of  the  arena,  where  he  and  his  associates  kept  him 
occupied,  charging  first  one  cloak  and  then  another  until  the 
picador  was  lifted  up  and  taken  out  of  the  ring,  and  the  horse 
was  flogged  until  he  half  rose  and  was  dragged  into  the 
outer  circle.  The  bull  wounded  two  other  horses,  and 
as  one  of  the  banderilleros  was  dazzling  him  with  his 
cloak  he  slipped  and  fell.  The  bull  charged  for  him,  but 
the  man  lay  as  if  dead  and  the  bull  evidently  thought  him  so, 
for  he  charged  over  him,  only  tearing  his  breeches,  to  attack 
another  who  came  to  his  rescue.  It  was  a  thrilling  moment, 
and  the  people,  getting  excited,  began  to  call  for  the  ban- 
derillas.  A  trumpet  sounded  from  the  presidential  box,  a  door 
swung  open,  and  the  picadores  vanished,  while  half  of  the  band- 
erilleros threw  aside  their  cloaks  and  each  of  them  took  two 
banderillas  and  prepared  to  use  them.  These  are  wooden  sticks 
about  three  feet  long,  wound  with  colored  strips  of  paper,  and  in 


112  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE. 

one  end  having  a  barbed  iron-point.  A  man  would  take  one  in 
each  hand,  and  standing  before  the  bull,  invite  an  attack  by 
holding  them  up  and  waving  them.  The  bull  charges  and  the 
man,  while  retreating,  reaches  over  the  horns  and  plants  the 
barbs  in  the  neck,  jumping  aside  at  the  same  instant.  The  long 
sticks  hang  and  drag  on  the  wound,  irritating  the  bull  tremen- 
dously. 

The  people  evidently  intended  to  manage  the  affair,  and 
the  president  seemed  to  occupy  the  place  of  an  umpire  at 
a  base-ball  game  in  their  estimation ;  first  they  called  for  the 
banderillas,  and  now,  when  six  had  been  inserted,  they  began 
to  call  for  the  espada.  The  audience  was  almost  entirely 
composed  of  men  of  the  better  class,  and  they  were  very 
noisy,  using  all  sorts  of  instruments  to  assist  their  voices ; 
a  man  just  behind  me  had  a  huge  cow-bell,  which  he  rang 
in  and  out  of  season,  while  a  crippled  Spaniard,  who  was 
carried  in  a  man's  arms  and  sat  just  in  front  of  me,  had 
a  splendid  pair  of  lungs,  and  enjoyed  abusing  the  whole 
thing  immensely ;  it  was  not  bloody  enough  for  him,  and 
he  assured  the  president,  among  other  things,  that  cholera 
was  unnecessary  this  year;  the  country  was  already  suffi- 
ciently disgraced  by  such  a  bull-fight.  At  last  the  trumpet 
sounded  a  few  notes,  and  the  espada,  with  his  bright  red 
cloak  and  glittering  sword,  entered  the  arena  and  bowed 
and  smiled  to  the  audience.  A  little  more  torture  of  the  bull, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  113 

and  the  espada  succeeded  in  burying  his  sword  up  to  the 
hilt,  just  back  of  the  neck,  always  attacking  him  from  the 
front.  It  was  a  bad  stroke  and  did  not  kill,  so  there  was 
more  charging  and  waving  of  cloaks  until  the  espada  suc- 
ceeded in  pulling  the  sword  out.  Then  another  attack,  and 
again  the  blade  was  buried  and  the  stroke  a  bad  one.  The 
sword  was  pulled  out  again  and  found  to  be  broken,  but 
still  the  espada  fought  with  it  until  the  bull  was  on  his 
knees,  when  some  one  handed  him  a  short,  heavy  weapon, 
one  blow  from  which  was  given  between  the  horns,  and  the 
bull  rolled  over  dead.  It  was  such  butchery  that  there  was 
no  applause,  and  the  men  left  the  arena  in  silence,  while 
three  caparisoned  mules  came  dashing  in,  were  attached  to 
the  carcass,  and  dashed  out  with  it  while  the  music  played. 
The  second  bull  refused  to  fight,  turning  from  the  picadores^ 
and  even  from  the  cloaks  of  the  banderilleros.  The  popu- 
lace demanded,  "  Fuego  !  banderillas  de  fuego  !  fuego,  SeTior 
Presidente ! "  But  the  president  declined,  and  the  doors  on. 
one  side  opened  to  admit  two  large  dun-colored  oxen  with 
big  bells  on  their  necks.  The  bull  seemed  to  know  them, 
He  joined  them,  and  the  three  were  whipped  out  of  the 
ring.  This  was  the  imported  bull  named  Serenity.  The 
third  bull  came  dashing  into  the  ring  with  a  fresh  wound  on 
one  of  his  hind-quarters,  given  evidently  just  as  he  left  the 
stable.  To  improve  his  courage,  and  as  he  came  on  in  his 


114  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

charge,  a  banderillero,  taking  a  long  pole  in  his  hand,  rushed 
towards  him  and  vaulted  clear  over  him.  His  fury  was  short- 
lived, however,  and  he  soon  was  condemned  by  the  people, 
who  shouted,  "  Fuera  !  fuera !  "  until  he  was  led  off.  The 
fourth  and  fifth  bulls  were  like  him,  and  by  this  time  the 
populace  were  getting  rather  unruly,  so  the  sixth  animal 
was  forced  to  fight.  The  picadores  stuck  him  until  the  blood 
ran  in  streams  down  his  neck,  then  six  banderillas  were 
planted  in  his  neck ;  after  which  the  poor  wretch  tried  to 
escape,  and  climbed  the  nine-foot  fence  four  times,  only  to 
be  driven  from  one  enclosure  into  another,  and  finally  back 
into  the  ring.  At  last  another  espada  entered,  and  the 
fourth  time  the  sword  was  driven  in  up  to  the  hilt,  the 
beast  fell  dead,  and  was  dragged  off  to  the  sound  of  more 
music.  The  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  bulls  refused  to 
fight,  and  were  hissed  off,  the  people  getting  more  and 
more  excited,  until  most  of  them  were  on  their  feet  express- 
ing their  sentiments.  The  other  ladies  of  the  party  had 
retired,  and  I  seemed  to .  excite  the  admiration  of  the  men 
by  having  staid,  and  they  were  careful  to  stand  on  one 
side  so  that  I  could  see,  and  there  were  no  coarse  remarks 
made  near  me. 

The  tenth  bull  was  the  Spanish  Vinegar,  and  he  fought  well ; 
in  less  than  ten  minutes  he  had  killed  three  horses  and  wounded 
three,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  picadores.  One  he  gored  to 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  115 

death  in  the  ring,  fighting  him  until  he  ceased  even  to  raise  his 
head ;  another  ran  around  with  his  bowels  hanging  from  a  wound 
until  he  came  to  a  gate  which  was  opened,  and  he  ran  in ;  the 
other  was  dragged  out  on  his  knees ;  the  three  wounded  ones 
pranced  out,  and  then  the  bull  attacked  the  men,  and  the  peo- 
ple settled  down  in  their  seats.  There  were  many  narrow  escapes, 
much  vaulting  over  the  fence  and  jumping  behind  screens ;  eight 
banderillas  were  planted,  and  then  the  espada  came  out  and 
literally  butchered  him,  striking  over  and  over  again  before  he 
fell.  His  carcass  was  dragged  out,  and  also  that  of  the  dead 
horse.  Once  more  the  picadores  took  their  places,  and  a  tame 
bull  walked  in.  This  was  too  much  for  the  audience,  and  there 
was  a  perfect  shower  of  cushions  and  seats  thrown  into  the  arena, 
and  the  people  rose  and  began  to  surge  to  and  fro.  I  sat  still 
until  a  man  said  to  my  escort :  "  Get  higher  up ;  here  come  the 
chairs  and  boxes."  Then  we  began  to  make  our  way  out,  and  it 
was  decidedly  dangerous,  as  the  people  were  tearing  the  boxes 
to  pieces  and  hurling  everything  they  could  into  the  arena — 
doors,  boards,  and  all.  It  was  slow  work  getting  out,  but  every 
one  helped  me,  all  pushing  and  saying,  "  Una  sefwra  !  cuidado  a 
la  senora  !  "  As  we  went  out  I  looked  back  and  saw  a  wonder- 
ful picture.  Horses,  picadores,  banderilleros,  and  the  assistants, 
all  had  retreated  to  the  further  side  of  the  circle,  and  stood  there 
in  their  beautiful  attire  looking  up  at  the  enraged  multitude  and 
the  missiles  hurled  at  them.  On  the  nearer  side  stood  the  bull, 


116  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

he  too  gazing  up,  transfixed  with  astonishment ;  and  all  about 
me  was  the  surging  mobs,  the  sound  of  their  exclamations  and  the 
cracking  of  breaking  timbers  filling  the  air.  The  few  police  in- 
side were  powerless,  but  as  I  came  out  a  company  of  them  armed 
with  rifles  filed  in,  and  as  we  drove  away  in  our  carriage  the 
rattle  of  musketry  was  the  last  sound  to  reach  us  from  the  bull 
ring.  It  was  a  horrible  three  hours  that  I  had  passed,  and  the 
nervous  strain  was  great.  The  blood,  the  butchery  of  the  bulls, 
the  poor  wounded  horses,  goaded  on  again  and  again  to  resist 
the  attack,  the  quick  catching  of  the  breath  as  a  man  saved  his 
life  by  a  sudden  dexterous  twist  of  his  body  or  leap  over  the 
fence,  the  enthusiasm  which  animated  you  in  spite  of  the  horror 
of  it,  were  all  trying ;  yet  I  am  glad  I  went,  for  I  firmly  believe 
that  the  world  is  always  better  to-day  than  it  was  yesterday,  and 
this  is  but  another  proof  of  it ;  for  bull-fighting,  which,  with 
all  its  attendant  horrors,  was  once  a  favorite  and  common 
pastime,  has  now  almost  vanished  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
soon  we  shall  know  it  only  from  books,  as  we  know  of  the 
Inquisition  and  of  slaves  sold  in  the  market-place. 


XV. 

CITY  OF  BUENOS  AYRES. 

SCENES  ON  THE  WATER  FRONT — A  POPULOUS  TOWN  WITH  NAR- 
ROW STREETS — THE  PLAZA  VICTORIA — NOTABLE  BUILD- 
INGS— THE  CATHEDRAL,  EXCHANGE,  PALACE — POINTS  OF 
INTEREST. 

THERE  is  a  line  of  steamers  plying  between  Montevideo  and 
Buenos  Ayres  whose  managers  buy  up  all  opposition  and  man- 
age things  to  suit  themselves.  The  steamers  are  fairly  good, 
and  make  the  trip  across  the  river  in  about  twelve  hours,  but 
one  has  to  take  a  small  boat  to,  and  then  scramble  over  the  side 
when  in  Montevideo ;  and  as  to  getting  ashore  in  Buenos  Ayres 
before  the  time  when  steamers  entered  the  Boca — well !  it  was  a 
disagreeable  picnic. 

Buenos  Ayres  may  be  said  not  to  have  a  harbor,  as  vessels  of 
deep  draught  have  to  anchor  some  twelve  miles  off.  There  they 
discharge  their  cargo  into  lighters,  which,  being  flat-bottomed, 
can  go  within  half  a  mile  of  the  shore.  From  the  lighters  the 


118  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

boxes  and  bales  are  piled  into  carts  that  are  drawn  by  three  or 
more  horses,  and  driven  out  into  the  water  to  reach  the  lighters 
until  just  the  backs  and  heads  of  the  horses  are  above  the  water. 
Immense  loads  are  put  into  the  carts,  and  the  poor  horses  are 
soon  killed  by  their  work,  for  not  only  are  their  loads  heavy, 
and  standing  in  the  water — often  very  cold — injurious,  but  they 
are  badly  shod,  harnessed,  and  most  cruelly  beaten  as  they  stag- 
ger ashore  and  strain  up  the  short,  steep,  illy-paved  street  which 
leads  to  the  custom-house.  Vessels  that  draw  no  more  than  ten 
feet  can  come  within  four  miles  of  the  city,  and  from  their  decks 
the  city  shows  as  a  long  line  of  buildings  stretched  along  the 
horizon.  Passengers  were  put  into  small  boats,  and,  if  the  river 
were  high  enough,  rowed  to  one  end  of  a  long  pier  opposite  the 
custom-house.  If  the  tide  was  out  they  went  ashore  in  a  cart, 
like  the  merchandise,  making  a  most  annoying  and  expensive 
journey,  as  every  change  costs  enormously.  A  port  is  being 
built,  but  it  will  take  a  long  time  to  complete  it.  Work  was 
begun  about  two  miles  south  of  the  city  and  near  the  original 
settlement,  where  a  small  stream  called  the  Riachuelo  empties 
into  the  Plate.  The  Riachuelo  was  dug  out,  deepened,  and 
widened,  and  an  embankment  built  on  either  side  of  this  basin, 
with  wharves  on  top  of  the  embankment.  A  canal-like  en- 
trance was  excavated  as  far  as  the  outer  harbor,  so  now  a  certain 
number  of  vessels  of  deep  draught  can  enter  this  basin  and 
discharge  at  the  wharves.  They  would  sometimes  crowd  as 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  119 

many  as  four  hundred  in,  and  it  does  very  well  in  winter ;  but 
the  Riachuelo  is  too  small  to  keep  a  current  flowing  through  the 
basin.  Thus  the  water  is  stagnant,  and  in  summer  it  makes 
the  air  so  foul  that  there  is  much  sickness  among  the  shipping. 

This  port  and  the  village  about  it  is  called  the  Boca,  and  it  is 
connected  with  the  city  by  steam  and  street  cars.  The  plan 
of  the  port  is  to  build  a  series  of  basins  along  the  present  city 
front,  and  a  wall-way  outside  of  them,  where  the  river  is  deep, 
and  then  fill  between  the  wall  and  the  basins.  This  will  give 
them  acres  and  acres  of  ground,  and  they  sold  them  long  in 
advance  at  very  high  prices. 

Buenos  Ayres  is  the  capital  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  not 
the  Argentine  Confederation.  It  used  to  be  the  latter,  but  they 
have  had  the  war,  and  the  blood  has  been  spilt  which  seems- 
necessary  to  weld  nations  together,  and  now  they  are  firmly 
united.  Driven  to  desperation  by  the  tyrannies  of  Juan  Manuel 
Rosas,  a  union  was  formed  which  triumphed,  and  in  driving 
him  forth  as  an  exile  they  for  a  time,  at  least,  drove  forth  the 
lawless  spirit  that  reveled  in  bloody  revolutions,  and  since  then 
the  nation  has  flourished  until  the  late  financial  troubles. 
Rosas'  life  would  have  paid  the  forfeit  of  his  years  of  crime  had 
not  the  English  minister,  a  man  whom  he  had  wantonly  insulted, 
lent  the  folds  of  the  English  flag  to  protect  him,  while  he  and 
his  boxes  of  treasure  were  conveyed  on  board  an  English  mer- 
chantman lying  in  the  outer  roads. 


120  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAR. 

The  city  was  founded  just  to  the  south  of  the  present  site — 
near  the  Boca — by  Pedro  del  Mendoza,  in  1535,  and  now  con- 
tains about  half  a  million  inhabitants.  It  is  a  beautiful  city,  as 
a  whole,  with  an  amount  of  business  in  the  streets  that  crowds 
them,  but  the  streets  are  narrow.  I  am  told  they  were  built  so 
because  they  are  so  much  cooler  in  summer,  but  I  fancy 
they  were  originally  built  so  for  purposes  of  defense  as  well  as 
coolness. 

We  landed  at  the  long  wharf  and  found  it  well  filled  with 
Italian  emigrants  in  the  picturesque  costumes  of  their  native 
land.  Walking  up,  our  attention  was  called  to  the  line  of 
washerwomen  along  the  shore.  They  were  pursuing  the  same 
process  as  those  on  the  oriental  bank  of  the  river,  only  here  the 
river  so  seldom  rises  that  the  pools  of  water  along  the  bank  are 
seldom  overflowed,  and  women  were  washing  in  pools  that  were 
not  only  white  with  soap,  but  some  were  covered  with  a  green 
slime.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  contemplate  wearing  such  clothes, 
and  we  always  tried  for  a  washerwoman  who  used  the  water 
from  her  cistern,  or,  as  a  Japanese  boy  put  it,  got  water  on  a 
string. 

At  the  shore  end  of  the  wharf,  a  long,  narrow  park  extends 
for  quite  a  distance  along  the  water  front,  and  it  is  very  pretty, 
with  its  green  grass,  trees,  and  neatly  kept  walks.  The  plaza 
Victoria,  named  in  honor  of  the  victory  of  the  25th  of  May, 
1810,  is  only  two  blocks  from  the  landing,  and  is  the  oldest  as 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  121 

well  as  the  most  interesting  one  in  town.  It  is  eight  acres  in 
extent,  and  has  two  grass  plots,  intersected  by  walks  and  sepa- 
rated by  a  broad  paved  roadway.  In  the  center  of  one  plot  is 
an  adobe  monument  to  Liberty  in  a  bad  state  of  repair,  the  adobe 
peeling  off  the  brick  foundation  in  many  places.  Gas-pipes  out- 
line it  so  that  it  may  be  illuminated,  and  it  is  surrounded  by  an 
iron  railing.  In  the  other  plot  of  grass  is  a  large  equestrian 
bronze  statue  in  honor  of  Gen.  San  Martin,  I  was  told,  but 
there  is  no  name  on  it.  He  evidently  is  superior  to  the  tra- 
ditionary hero,  who  needs  but  the  naming  of  his  name,  the  tell- 
ing of  his  story. 

All  around  the  outside  of  these  inner  squares  is  a  double  row 
of  royal  palms  that  nourish  fairly  well  in  spite  of  the  cold. 
Then  comes  the  surrounding  street,  and  finally  the  buildings. 
One  of  these  standing  on  a  corner  is  the  Cathedral,  a  large 
imposing  white  building,  with  a  fine  portico.  There  are  no 
towers,  and  the  dome  is  so  far  back  that  one  does  not  see  it  well 
from  the  street  level.  Passing  the  portico,  you  enter,  to  find  a 
building  which  impresses  you  by  its  great  size  and  the  simple 
decorations  in  white  and  gold,  even  the  altars  being  chiefly 
noticeable  for  the  falls  of  gold  and  silver  lace  that  decorate 
them.  Leo  XIII.,  the  present  Pope,  was  attached  to  the 
cathedral  when  a  young  priest,  and  is  said  to  have  officiated  at 
its  altars. 

A  chapel  off  the  right  aisle  contained  the  remains  of  the  great 


122  •  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

general,  San  Martin,  which  are  inclosed  in  a  splendid  tomb 
standing  in  the  center  of  the  chapel,  an  inscription  claiming 
him  as  the  liberator  of  the  Argentine,  Chilian,  and  Peruvian 
republics.  The  Roman  Catholic  religion  is  supported  by  the 
government  and  flourishes  financially  in  consequence.  Next 
the  Cathedral  is  the  large  episcopal  residence,  and  on  the 
same  side  of  the  plaza,  nearer  the  river,  is  the  splendid  new 
Exchange,  the  old  building  being  cleverly  incorporated  by  the 
architect. 

The  whole  side  of  the  plaza  next  the  river  is  occupied  by  a 
government  building  that  I  generally  heard  spoken  of  as  the 
Palace.  It  is  two  stories  and  a  mansard  roof  in  height,  and  has 
two  grand  entrances.  It  is  guarded  day  and  night  by  soldiers 
with  fixed  bayonets,  and  here  are  the  offices  of  the  President, 
his  cabinet,  and  many  other  government  officials  of  minor 
importance.  It  is  not  yet  finished,  a  terrace  at  one  end  and  the 
part  facing  the  river  being  only  about  half  completed. 

One  of  the  custom-house  buildings  is  next,  and  just  across 
Balcarce  Street  is  the  low  building  with  a  big  entrance  which 
contains  the  House  of  Parliament ;  there  being  only  one  hall, 
the  senators  and  representatives  sitting  on  alternate  days.  I 
wished  much  to  enter,  but  was  informed  that  my  sex  debarred 
me,  and  all  the  satisfaction  I  could  get  out  of  it  was  to  ask 
every  Argentine  I  was  introduced  to,  why  ?  and  then  let  him 
explain  until  he  got  tired.  It  was  at  the  door  of  this  building 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  123 

that  an  attempt  was  made  to  assassinate  General  Roca  when  he 
was  President. 

Our  minister,  Bayliss  W.  Hanna,  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
wounded  man  and  give  him  protection  and  assistance,  an  act 
which  was  never  forgotten  by  the  Argentine  government,  and 
Mr.  Hanna  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  painting,  which  was 
executed  by  Senor  Blanes,  the  distinguished  Uruguayan  artist, 
upon  the  order  of  Gen.  Roca,  in  commendation  of  the  event. 
It  represents  the  senate  in  session,  President  Roca  present  with 
a  bloody  bandage  about  his  head  and  Minister  Hanna  standing 
in  a  small  box,  one  or  two  other  diplomats  showing  behind 
him. 


XVI. 

SHOPS  OF  BUENOS  AYRES. 

PONCHOS  IN  VARIOUS  STYLES — VALUABLE  HUGS  AND  EOBES — 
FIXE  PARAGUAYAN  FABRICS — BOMBILLAS  AXD  MATE  CUP 
— HABIT  OF  MATE-DRINKING. 

THE  streets  of  Buenos  Ayres  are  uncommonly  narrow,  and 
the  sidewalks  are  made  to  match.  Two  persons  can  pass,  but 
that  is  all,  and  the  men  are  very  rude  about  stopping  to  talk  in 
groups,  which  entirely  obstruct  the  sidewalk.  And  they  do 
not  move  unless  you  deliberately  halt  and  request  them  to  let 
you  by.  Then  they  do  so  with  smiles  and  bows,  to  show  their 
perfect  willingness  to  oblige.  Some  of  the  shops  are  filled 
with  beautiful  objects  of  art,  generally  from  France  or  Italy ; 
but  as  a  rule  the  windows  are  small  and  low,  not  calculated  for 
a  fine  display  of  goods.  The  majority  seemed  filled  with 
gentlemen's  wearing  apparel,  such  a  charming  display  of  dainty 
underwear,  and  the  men  one  meets  are  so  well-dressed,  so 
altogether  pleasing  to  the  eye  that  even  a  stranger  must  con- 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  125 

done  their  getting  in  your  way,  and  their  other  habit  of  remark- 
ing in  audible  tones  upon  your  appearance,  telling  you  frankly 
if  you  look  well  or  ill,  if  your  bonnet  and  gown  are  becoming 
or  not ;  letting  you  know,  in  short,  how  you  appear  to  a 
stranger.  It  makes  me  smile  even  now  to  remember  the  indig- 
nation of  a  gentleman  from  one  of  our  Southern  States  because 
the  loungers  on  Calle  Florida  informed  the  lady  he  was 
escorting  that  she  was  decidedly  homely. 

Calle  Florida  is  the  Broadway  of  the  city  and  is  thronged 
every  afternoon,  the  largest  crowds  being  near  the  cafe's.  The 
women  wear  Parisian  gowns  and  hats,  and  when  young  are  as 
pretty,  plump  little  pigeons  as  one  could  desire.  Now  and 
then  a  beautiful  elderly  woman  passes  ;  the  majority,  however, 
lose  all  shape  as  they  age.  There  are  a  great  many  large 
wholesale  stores  filled  with  samples  and  boxes,  chiefly  English 
and  German  goods,  which  make  their  way  by  railroad  and  ox 
team  into  the  interior.  The  Buenos  Ayres  papers  always  give 
the  amount  of  skins  and  country  produce  brought  into  the  city 
daily,  and  among  the  reports  was  one  market  where  everything 
quoted  was  brought  in  in  large  prairie-schooner  wagons  drawn 
by  numbers  of  patient  oxen. 

The  streets  are  filled  with  carts  loaded  with  merchandise  and 
drawn  by  several  horses,  the  leaders  being  harnessed  with  such 
long  traces  that  they  often  meander  all  over  the  sidewalk, 
being  quite  beyond  the  control  of  the  driver,  and  one  has  con- 


126  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

stantly  to  keep  an  eye  on  passing  vehicles  to  look  out  for 
horses  coming  in  one's  way.  The  Argentine  is  fond  of  good 
horseflesh,  and  there  are  many  fine  specimens  to  be  seen  draw- 
ing beautiful  carriages,  especially  in  the  afternoon  in  Palermo 
Park. 

A  very  interesting  store  to  me  was  one  filled  with  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  country.  There  was  wine  from  the  province  of 
San  Juan,  Mendoza,  Rioja,  and  Catamarca,  both  red  and  white, 
and  some  of  the  claret  from  Catamarca  was  quite  good.  There 
were  piles  and  piles  of  ponchos,  made  of  vicuna,  llama,  alpaca, 
and  sheep's  wool.  The  finest  and  most  expensive  were  of 
vicuna.  One  beauty  as  soft  and  fine  as  silk  cost  $1,000.  The 
cheapest  and  coarsest  are  of  sheep's  wool  and  bring  from  $3  to 
$4  each.  They  are  all  woven  by  hand  and  wear  wonderfully 
well,  the  fine  vicuna  ones  often  being  heirlooms.  I  was  told 
that  instead  of  putting  a  chip  on  his  shoulder  or  requesting 
some  one  to  tread  on  the  tail  of  his  coat,  that  the  man  who 
wears  the  poncho  when  seeking  for  a  fight  holds  one  corner 
over  his  shoulder,  allowing  the  other  to  trail  on  the  ground, 
and  thus  parades  until  he  meets  a  kindred  spirit,  who  picks  up 
the  glove  by  treading  on  the  trailing  corner,  and  then  the 
fight  begins.  The  color  is  generally  some  shade  of  brown, 
from  the  lightest  caf6  au  lait  to  a  dark  chocolate,  except,  of 
course,  the  alpacas,  and,  being  natural  colors,  wear  out  before 
they  fade,  the  hair  from  the  neck  and  stomach  giving  one 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  127 

shade,  that  on  the  back  another,  and  so  on.  The  pattern  is 
universally  stripes,  running  lengthwise.  The  markets  are  now 
flooded  with  imitations  made  in  England,  and  as  they  are  of 
good  wool,  as  well  as  cheaper,  of  course,  than  the  handmade, 
they  are  worn  a  great  deal,  but  they  are  a  different  looking 
article  from  the  native  ones,  even  when  as  thin  and  fine. 
There  are  heavy  saddle-bags  and  saddle-cloths  of  woolen  and  a 
good  many  jams  and  marmalades  made  in  the  northern  prov- 
inces where  fruit  is  plentiful. 

Another,  to  me,  fascinating  store  was  filled  with  rugs  made 
from  the  skins  of  native  animals,  and  there  were  also  large 
piles  of  the  raw  material  so  that  one  could  select  the  skins  and 
have  a  rug  made  to  order.  The  prettiest,  as  well  as  the  most 
fragile,  are  those  made  from  the  native  ostrich  and  costing  about 
•$50  each.  Next  come  those  made  from  the  necks  of  the  vicuna, 
which  are  from  $80  to  $130  each ;  they  are  fawn  and  white  in 
color,  and  the  hair  is  as  soft  as  down.  There  are  guanaco  robes 
from  $15  to  $40,  and  grebe,  fox,  otter,  and  other  skins  for  all 
sorts  of  prices.  Two  other  stores  were  charming,  and  their  con- 
tents beguiling,  although  hidden  away  on  side  streets  and  hard 
to  find.  They  were  for  the  sale  of  Paraguayan  articles,  among 
which  is  lace  that  looks  like  spider  webs,  and  is  called  so 
(nanduti)  in  the  Guarani  tongue,  made  by  the  native  women, 
who  were  taught  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  many  years  ago ; 
gold  puzzle  rings  made  of  fine  wires  fitted  together  to  make  a 


1-28  ALONG  SHOEE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

broad  band ;  bows  and  arrows,  necklaces  of  guanaco  toe-nails 
and  of  monkey's  teeth ;  specimens  of  rude  pottery  and  bales  of 
mate*  leaves,  covered  with  skins,  the  hair  on  the  outside  ;  bom- 
billas,  a  tube  with  a  bulb  at  one  end,  and  the  bulb  pierced  with 
tiny  holes  to  strain  the  mate*  herb  from  the  tea  as  it  is  sucked 
up,  and  a  seemingly  endless  variety  of  mate  cups.  Some  of 
these  latter  were  made  of  silver,  but  generally  they  are  small 
gourds,  with  a  piece  of  the  stem  left  on  for  a  handle.  Some 
are  allowed  to  retain  their  natural  color,  others  are  dyed  red 
and  a  pattern  engraved  upon  them,  but  the  majority  are  dyed 
black  and  left  plain.  The  carving  on  some  is  very  elaborate. 
Some  are  mounted  on  stands  of  silver  and  elaborately  bound 
and  decorated  with  the  same  precious  metal.  Occasionally  the 
fruit  is  tied  while  growing  and  made  to  assume  all  sorts  of 
shapes.  A  small  round  hole  is  cut  in  one  side  to  clean  out  the 
seeds,  and  also  for  the  introduction  of  the  bombilla.  These 
bombillas  are  generally  made  of  silver  or  tin,  but  I  secured  a 
few  of  Indian  make,  bamboo  tube  with  basket-work  bulbs,  and 
in  Cordoba  we  got  from  the  nuns  some  dainty  ones  of  decorated 
bamboo  tubes  and  white  horsehair  strainers. 

Mate",  generally  called  Paraguayan  tea,  is  made  from  the  leaf 
of  a  small  tree  of  the  holly  species — ilex  Parayuayensis — which 
flourishes  in  parts  of  Paraguay.  The  leaves  are  gathered,  pre- 
pared, and  then  carefully  packed  in  fresh  hide  bags,  which  con- 
tract when  drying  and  make  a  package  as  hard  as  a  stone.  It 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  129 

is  a  yellowish  green  in  color,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  mate*  powder 
is  put  into  the  gourd,  a  small  lump  of  sugar  also  if  you  like  it, 
and  then  the  cup  is  filled  with  boiling  water,  the  bombilla  in- 
serted, and  the  infusion  sucked  through  it.  Fully  three-fourths 
of  the  natives  of  Uruguay  and  the  Argentine  drink  mats',  and 
the  quantity  they  consume  is  astonishing.  A  silversmith  in  the 
town  of  Paysandu  told  me  he  only  drank  thirty  to  fifty  cups  in 
a  day,  and  I  have  often  seen  a  dozen  emptied  one  after  the 
other,  and  the  cup  sent  out  for  more.  Oificers  and  soldiers 
standing  at  the  barrack  doors  are  drinking  mats',  and  there  is 
generally  a  gourd  passing  among  the  guard  at  the  palace. 
Women  and  girls  run  to  the  door  to  see  something  pass,  or 
stand  there  talking,  with  the  inevitable  mate"  gourd  in  one  hand. 
In  small  stores  a  man  will  imbibe  mats'  while  attending  to  your 
wants.  In  short,  you  see  it  used  everywhere  except  in  the 
houses  of  fashionable  people  in  the  cities,  where  it  is  no  longer 
stylish  to  drink  it,  tea  having  taken  its  place.  I  have  often 
tasted  it,  as  it  is  the  universal  custom  to  offer  some  refreshment 
to  callers,  and  when  mats'  was  passed  of  course  we  partook.  It 
tastes  like  weak  green  tea,  and  would  not  be  disagreeable  were 
it  not  that  in  a  group  of  people  only  one  gourd  and  one  bombilla 
is  used,  being  passed  to  each  person  in  turn,  and  one  has  to  put 
in  their  mouth  the  unwiped  end  of  a  metal  tube  that  has  been 
in  more  or  less  mouths  present. 

There  are  several  markets  about  town,  and  they  are  always 

9 


130  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

well  filled.  Vegetables  are  plenty,  but  expensive ;  meat  cheap 
and  poor.  It  does  not  seem  to  have  been  properly  bled,  and  is 
very  lean.  It  is  also  sold  too  soon  after  being  killed.  In  the 
morning  there  are  plenty  of  fish,  which  are  brought  from 
Montevideo.  Fruit  is  scarce,  and,  like  everything  else,  expen- 
sive. 


XVII. 

OBJECTS    OF  INTEREST   IN  THE  SUBURBS  OF 
BUENOS  AYRES. 

CURIOUS  BURIAL  CUSTOMS — THE  NAVAL  ACADEMY — THE 
PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  AND  THEIR  AMERICAN  TEACHERS — PA- 
LERMO PARK  AND  ZOOLOGICAL  GARDEN. 

THERE  is  an  old,  aristocratic  burial-ground  in  Buenos  Ayres, 
which  is  called  Recoleta,  and  within  its  boundaries  rests  the 
dust  of  Lavalle,  Brown,  and  Alvear,  with  many  another  of  their 
famous  generals,  admirals,  and  Brazilian  patriots.  It  is  quite  at 
one  side  of  the  city,  and  was  doubtless  entirely  in  the  country 
when  first  consecrated,  but  now  the  broad  new  avenues  reach  out 
to  it,  and  only  the  large  park,  which  begins  just  here,  keeps  it  from 
being  surrounded  by  bricks  and  mortar  other  than  of  its  own 
choosing,  for  a  high  brick  wall  shuts  it  in  from  the  traffic  of  the 
street,  and  a  high,  wide  gate  of  iron  bars  forms  the  only  entrance. 
Inside,  and  to  the  left  of  the  gate,  is  an  office,  in  which  sits  a 
clerk  behind  a  table  waiting  for  customers.  On  the  right  is  a  bare, 
cheerless  little  chapel,  with  an  altar,  before  which  stood  the  two 


132  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

black  carpenter's  horses  to  rest  a  coffin  on.  A  priest  in  his  long 
black  cassock  sat  reading  a  book  with  a  most  demure  and 
proper-looking  cover,  so  I  fancy  it  was  a  book  of  prayers.  Every- 
thing appeared  so  ready,  all  was  so  prepared,  that  one  involun- 
tarily looked  out  into  the  street  to  see  if  a  funeral  procession 
was  not  approaching.  Passing  on,  the  visitor  enters  a  labyrinth 
of  narrow  walks — for  here  space  means  money — on  either  side 
of  which  are  tombs  and  monuments  of  every  conceivable  size, 
shape,  and  design.  Different  colored  stones  are  used,  and  occa- 
sionally a  full-length  statue  varies  the  monotony.  Some  are 
cheap  and  tawdry,  others,  and  by  far  the  greater  number,  beau- 
tiful. The  favorite  plan  seemed  to  be  to  buy  a  plot,  about  eight 
or  more  feet  square,  build  over  it  the  prettiest  chapel  of  marble 
one  can  afford,  excavate  the  earth  a  long  way  down  like  a  square 
well,  concrete  this,  and  fasten  strong  iron  brackets  into  the  wall 
on  each  side  every  few  feet,  these  brackets  serving  to  hold  the 
coffins.  An  altar  is  built  in  the  chapel,  and  in  front  of  it,  in 
the  floor,  is  an  open  grating,  which  is  raised  to  admit  the  coffins, 
and  through  which  they  can  be  plainly  seen.  In  some  of  the 
oldest  ones  the  vault  below  is  full,  and  coffins  have  been  placed 
on  brackets  about  the  chapel  walls.  The  entrance  to  nearly  all 
the  chapel  tombs  is  an  iron  grated  gate  with  glass  doors  inside, 
the  glass  doors  being  always  set  ajar  or  left  wide  open  for  ven- 
tilation. One  imagines  all  sorts  of  odors,  and  as  all  sorts  of  dis- 
eases are  buried  there  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  coffins  are 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  133 

hermetically  sealed.  There  are  many  wreaths  of  flowers  on 
coffins  and  in  the  chapels  ;  some  made  of  immortelles,  others  of 
beads,  but  the  majority  of  natural  beauties.  There  are  fountains 
and  evergreen  trees  to  brighten  things  up,  while  about  some  of 
the  very  oldest  graves  there  is  a  bit  of  bright  green  turf,  the 
body  having  been  laid  at  rest  in  Mother  Earth  in  the  usual  way 
— a  flat  slab  on  top,  and  around  it  all  an  iron  railing. 

On  one  side  of  the  grave-yard  stands  the  poor-house,  a  large 
handsome  building,  with  a  lovely  garden  full  of  flowers  about 
it.  I  always  wonder  when  I  see  such  beautiful  things  about 
charitable  institutions  if  the  poor  inmates  are  allowed  to  enjoy 
them,  or  if  they  are  for  show.  As  I  said  before,  just  here 
begins  the  park,  called  Recoleta,  after  the  cemetery.  It  is 
long,  narrow,  well  laid  out,  and  pleasing.  Perhaps  a  little 
too  much  imitation  petrified  wood,  which  makes  bridges, 
lies  about  like  fallen  trunks  for  benches,  and  forms  a  grotto, 
and  appears  everywhere,  but  the  grass  is  so  green,  the 
trees,  flowers,  shrubs,  and  running  water  so  pretty,  that  one 
is  charmed  with  the  place. 

At  the  foot  of  the  grotto  is  a  pond  with  lovely  ducks  of 
varied  plumage  swimming  about  in  it,  and,  just  beyond,  benches 
whence  one  sees  out  into  the  yellow  expanse  of  river  water, 
with  ships  passing  to  and  fro ;  there  is  a  nice  carriage  drive 
throughout  its  whole  length,  which  in  the  afternoon  is 
thronged  with  fine  turnouts. 


134  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Near  the  southern  end,  on  the  Avenida  Alvear,  was  the 
naval  school,  modeled  somewhat  after  ours,  by  Gen.  Domingo 
Sarmiento,  who  represented  his  country  at  Washington  for 
a  while,  admired  many  of  our  institutions  immensely,  and 
later,  when  he  was  President,  introduced  many  of  them  to 
his  own  people. 

The  naval  academy  has  lately  been  moved  more  than  200 
miles  up  the  Parana  River  to  a  place  which,  when  compared 
to  the  Avenida  Alvear,  is  a  howling  wilderness.  Our  public 
schools  were  especially  interesting  to  Gen.  Sarmiento,  and  he 
brought  out  teachers  from  the  States  to  preside  over  them, 
and  as  the  system  spreads  a  few  more  are  added  every  year. 
They  are  well  paid  and  looked  after,  being  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  government;  but  the  standard  is  high,  only  the 
best  are  taken,  and  the  work  is  hard,  besides  the  fact  that 
to  accept  a  position  means  living  here  away  from  one's  friends 
and  country.  Teaching  is  carried  on  principally  in  Spanish. 
English  is  only  a  branch,  so  the  teachers  must  speak  the 
language  like  natives.  '  They  are  a  fine  body  of  women,  and 
we  met  some  charming  ones.  The  first  ones  married  so  soon 
after  their  arrival  that  the  government  began  to  be  discouraged, 
and  they  are  still  in  demand ;  for  the  rara  avis,  a  woman  who 
can  make  her  own  living,  order  her  life  and  household  so  that, 
although  she  live  alone,  not  a  breath  of  scandal  touches 
her,  is  admired  and  desired,  yet  it  is  difficult  for  the  people 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  135 

to  believe  their  daughters  could  do  the  same.  Occasionally 
the  government  shows  its  appreciation  of  their  work  in  a 
manner  that  must  be  gratifying.  For  instance,  the  Roman 
Catholic  is  the  established  church,  yet  when  the  Papal  legate 
interfered  unwarrantably  with  the  management  of  a  school 
under  a  Miss  Armstrong,  and  both  appealed  to  headquarters, 
he  was  given  twenty-four  hours  to  leave  the  country  in,  and 
left.  This  is  the  story  as  I  several  times  heard  it  related, 
and  the  sister  of  the  young  woman  afterward  told  me,  at  my 
request,  the  tale,  and  it  did  not  differ  materially.  Passing 
along  the  streets  in  the  afternoon  you  see  children  pouring 
out  of  the  graded  school  buildings  even  as  they  do  at  home, 
and  it  warms  your  heart  to  see  them  and  think  what  strides 
this  country  will  make  once  these  children  come  of  age,  the 
boys  to  force  free  votes  and  a  true  republic,  the  girls  to  aid 
them  by  making  them  intelligent  companions  and  forming 
in  their  nurseries  the  minds  and  manners  of  their  children. 
They  use  the  kindergarten  as  well  as  the  graded  and  normal 
systems.  In  small  villages  there  is  always  a  school,  and  while 
I  have  heard  foreigners  speak  slightingly  of  these  outposts, 
they  always  struck  me  as  quite  as  good  as  any  I  saw  in 
Germany,  better,  in  fact,  because  they  are  free. 

The  large  city  park  is  called  Palermo,  and  lies  in  one  of  the 
suburbs,  its  official  name  being,  I  believe,  Third  of  February, 
but  as  it  is  never  called  so  it  does  not  count.  It  is  reached 


13G  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

by  carriage,  horse-cars,  or  the  Tigre  railroad.  We  went  out 
the  second  way,  taking  a  train  at  the  Plaza  Victoria,  which, 
after  passing  through  the  city  and  way  out  into  the  suburbs, 
stopped  before  a  large  gateway,  inside  of  which  another  car 
was  waiting  to  take  passengers  to  the  military  school  which 
is  in  the  grounds.  We  entered  and  had  a  regular  John 
Gilpin  ride  for  about  fifteen  minutes. 

There  was  a  track  to  run  on,  but  the  driver  preferred  the 
pavement,  so  we  rattled  and  jounced,  the  windows  rattled  and 
shook,  while  one  of  the  male  passengers  tried  to  hold  the  floor- 
grating  in  place,  which  task  kept  him  busy.  The  end  of  the 
route  was  reached  with  all  our  teeth  in  our  heads,  but  we  had 
not  enjoyed  the  scenery.  We  saw  the  low,  white  buildings  of 
the  military  school  at  one  side  and  walked  on  past  it  into  the 
grove  of  trees  and  along  the  neat  gravel  paths.  There  are 
about  fifty  acres  in  all,  perfectly  flat,  with  trees  and  flowers 
planted  in  numbers,  and  the  former  chiefly  eucalyptus,  the  only 
notable  exception  being  the  rows  of  palms  beside  the  main 
drive. 

There  is  an  extensive  zoological  garden  with  many  good 
specimens  of  lamas,  condors,  monkeys,  leopards,  and  any 
quantity  of  ducks,  as  well  as  a  pen  and  tank  filled  with  car- 
pinchos,  an  animal  that  looks  to  me  like  a  cross  between  a  pig 
and  an  otter.  They  live  along  the  banks  of  rivers  in  this 
country,  spending  a  great  deal  of  time  in  the  water,  and  are 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  137 

killed  and  eaten  by  the  natives,  the  flesh  of  the  young  ones 
being  said  to  taste  like  pork.  They  have  the  shortest  kind  of 
a  tail,  waddle  when  walking,  and  are  covered  with  brownish 
gray  bristles. 

A  stream  of  water  is  led  about  through  the  park,  and,  in 
addition  to  the  ducks  which  live  in  the  ponds,  many  wild  ones 
alight  daily  to  feed.  Pretty  little  bridges  cross  the  stream,  and 
there  are  seats  and  pavilions  all  about.  A  band  plays  on 
Thursday  and  Sunday  afternoons,  when  the  grand  drive  is  sure 
to  be  crowded  with  handsome  carriages  filled  with  the  fashion- 
ables of  the  city,  and  drawn  by  splendid  horses,  most  of  them 
imported.  This  park  was  another  of  Sarmiento's  ideas. 


xvm. 

THE  CITY  OF  LA  PLATA. 

ITS  SPLENDID  BANKS,  MUSEUM,  PARK,  AND  PUBLIC  BUILDINGS- 
HOW  IT  WAS  PROPOSED  TO  MAKE  A  SEAPORT  OUT  OF  AN 
INLAND  VILLAGE GREAT  CALCULATIONS  ON  THE  FUTURE- 
SUBURBS  OF  BELGRANO  AND  TIGRE. 

THERE  are  a  great  many  large  plazas  in  Buenos  Ayres  and 
most  of  them  well  cared  for.  The  city  spreads  out  over  an 
immense  amount  of  ground,  thanks  to  the  one-storied  houses, 
and  in  riding  about  on  the  various  street-car  lines  one  is  often 
surprised  by  pretty  plazas,  and  also  surprised  by  the  lack  of 
knowledge  as  to  their  names  and  extent  on  the  part  of  the 
other  people  in  the  car.  They  are  all  willing  and  almost 
anxious  to  discuss  the  question  and  help  you,  but  they  cannot. 
Victoria  I  have  already  attempted  to  describe.  San  Martin,  at 
the  northern  end  of  Florida  Street,  has  a  colossal  statue  in 
bronze  of  Gen.  San  Martin  on  horseback,  and  a  great  many 
lovely  flowers,  as  well  as  odd-looking  trees  and  shrubs.  It  is 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  139 

surrounded  by  a  wide  avenue,  and  here,  in  the  afternoon, 
troops  from  the  neighboring  barracks  come  out  to  drill,  the 
dark,  swarthy  faces  of  the  men,  who  seem  mostly  Indians  and 
negroes,  the  white  faces  of  the  officers,  the  full,  baggy  breeches 
of  the  men,  and  the  strange  music  of  the  band,  all  being  very 
attractive.  As  they  moved,  the  undulating  lines  reminded  me 
strongly  of  the  Italian  Bersaglieri,  but  the  step  is  different — 
one  foot  seems  put  down  with  more  force  than  the  other.  They 
seemed  well-armed  and  equipped,  but  must  have  been  ineffi- 
ciently or  badly  drilled,  keeping  front  badly  and  failing  in 
detail. 

Plaza  Constitucion  is  unusually  large,  and  here  there  are 
always  a  greater  or  less  number  of  large  country  bullock-carts, 
like  our  old  prairie  wagons,  only  these  have  much  larger  wheels 
so  as  to  lift  the  body  higher  out  of  the  mud,  and  the  majority 
have  only  two  wheels.  Blue  seems  to  be  the  favorite  color  to 
paint  the  wagon  bodies,  and  the  roof,  instead  of  being  even  with 
the  ends  of  the  body,  projects  slightly  before  and  behind.  They 
are  drawn  by  from  three  to  six  yoke  of  large  oxen,  with  the 
cruel  way  of  fastening  them  that  is  prevalent  in  these  coun- 
tries. Instead  of  a  yoke  they  take  a  heavy  beam  of  wood,  lay  it 
just  behind  the  horns  of  the  two  animals,  tie  the  horns  firmly 
to  the  end  and  lash  the  center  to  the  pole,  so  they  draw  entirely 
by  their  horns.  The  weight  brings  their  heads  about  down  to 
their  knees,  and  their  starting  eyeballs  and  the  expression  on 


140  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

their  poor  faces  show  they  are  in  torture.  Finally  I  declined 
to  look  at  them  in  their  trouble  and  looked  away  when  I  saw  a 
cart  coming.  The  drivers  are  generally  men  from  the  interior, 
and  they  bring  in  cattle  and  nutria  skins  and  all  sorts  of  country 
produce. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  newspapers  published  in  the  city, 
and  there  is  a  beautiful  illustrated  paper  also,  but  none  of  their 
dailies  pleased  me  as  much  as  El  Siglo,  of  Montevideo,  which 
was  most  ably  edited.  The  news  came  high,  as  papers  were 
dear,  but  they  did  not  copy  one  another  as  our  papers  in  the 
States  are  apt  to  do,  and  you  found  all  the  news  in  their 
columns.  On  the  Plaza  Constitucion  is  a  large  railway  station, 
and  here,  one  lovely  day,  we  took  a  train  for  the  city  of  La 
Plata. 

When  Buenos  Ayres  was  finally  chosen  as  the  seat  of  the 
general  government,  the  province  of  Buenos  Ayres  selected  a 
site,  about  twenty-five  miles  to  the  south,  and  here  in  the  fields 
they  laid  out  a  city  to  be  called  La  Plata.  The  railway  to  it 
passes  over  a  flat  but  fertile  plain,  with  cultivated  fields  and 
many  houses,  and  occasionally  we  halted  at  thrifty-looking 
little  villages,  with  the  usual  number  of  eucalyptus  trees 
about  them.  There  were  birds  singing  in  the  hedges,  and 
cattle  and  native  ostriches  feeding  in  the  fields.  Altogether  it 
was  a  flat,  smiling,  prosperous-looking  bit  of  countiy.  Arrived 
at  our  destination,  we  alighted  in  a  large,  splendid,  almost 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  141 

finished  station,  built,  as  is  everything  else  in  this  city,  with 
two  eyes  to  the  future.  Millions  of  money  have  been  spent, 
and  all  that  now  is  needed  is  people  to  live  in  the  houses  and 
throng  the  streets.  They  are  coming,  but  very  slowly.  The 
streets  are  broad,  straight,  and  well-paved,  as  are  also  the  side- 
walks. There  are  several  fine  government  buildings,  and  to 
each  is  allotted  a  whole  square,  the  building  being  set  in  the 
center,  and  the  remaining  space  laid  out  as  a  garden,  filled  with 
flowers  and  fountaiiu,  so  that  each  building  has  a  lovely 
setting. 

The  Banco  de  la  Provincia  and  the  Banco  Hipotecario  sur- 
pass any  bank  buildings  that  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of.  They  are 
like  palaces.  Each  one  stands  in  the  center  of  a  city  square,  and, 
like  the  government  buildings,  is  several  stories  high,  of  gray 
stone,  with  fine,  grand  entrances,  and  the  grounds  about  them 
beautifully  laid  out,  with  drives,  walks,  statues,  flowers,  and 
shrubs.  On  the  side  of  the  city  toward  the  river,  which  is  nine 
miles  off,  a  grand  park  is  laid  out,  and  hundreds  of  eucalyptus 
trees  have  been  planted  and  are  flourishing,  but  it  needs  more 
care  than  it  gets.  In  the  park  is  the  museum  building,  and  it 
will  be  a  fine  one  when  completed.  There  is  a  curving  drive 
guiding  one  up  to  the  fine  flight  of  steps  below  the  entrance 
door,  and  passing  the  latter  you  find  yourself  in  a  large,  circular 
hall,  ornamented  with  frescoes,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  hor- 
rible daubs,  artistically  considered,  yet  they  were  interesting 


142  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

because  they  represented  scenes  from  the  life  of  the  aborigines. 
In  one,  a  number  of  people  with  fewer  clothes  than  ballet  dan- 
cers, were  cutting  up  and  eating  a  mammoth  turtle  ;  in  another 
they  were  throwing  the  lasso,  and  in  the  third,  these  sons  of 
the  soil  are  threading  a  trackless  forest.  Two  halls  were  in 
order,  one  containing  the  collection  of  fossils,  for  which  this 
museum  of  the  province  of  Buenos  Ayres  is  famous  through 
all  the  world,  and  the  other  hall  showing  a  fine  collection  of 
ancient  Peruvian  pottery.  Passing  through  the  park  and  keep- 
ing on  toward  the  river,  one  comes  to  the  little  village  of 
Ensenada.  It  is  six  miles  inland,  but  a  grand  scheme  is  on 
foot  to  build  a  system  of  docks  and  dikes  to  make  this  a  river 
port.  A  large  part  of  the  work  is  done,  arid  if  the  money  sup- 
plies do  not  give  out,  it  will  in  time  be  accomplished.  Small 
trading  vessels  can  now  come  up  as  far  as  Ensenada  through  a 
canal,  while  large  ships  come  alongside  the  docks  several  miles 
down.  The  work  is  in  charge  of  Dutchmen,  and  is  being  much 
better  done  than  at  Buenos  Ayres  in  the  Boca.  A  railroad  to 
Buenos  Ayres  leads  right  down  to  the  entire  length  of  the 
proposed  improvements.  The  village  is  now  a  dusty,  dirty, 
uninteresting  little  place  to  the  ordinary  tourist. 

There  is  a  street-railway  service  in  La  Plata,  and  hacks  are 
plenty  and  cheap.  They  have  gas,  electric-lights,  and,  in  short, 
it  is  a  city  of  to-day.  There  are  several  pretty  suburbs  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  but  Belgrano  was  my  favorite  ;  the  flowers, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAE.  143 

trees,  and  quintas — country  houses — being  especially  pretty, 
while  there  was  also  an  attractive,  sloping  park,  mostly  of 
green-sward,  between  the  town  and  railway  station,  with  a  nice 
large  ombu  tree  to  sit  under,  and  enjoy  the  country  air  and  view. 
The  ombu  is  a  native  of  this  part  of  the  world,  and  belongs  to 
the  fig  family.  It  grows  to  a  fine  height  and  the  branches  give 
a  dense  shade,  under  which  no  insect  cares  to  dwell.  The 
trunk  always,  looked  to  me  too  large  in  proportion  for  beauty, 
but  its  most  striking  peculiarity  is  the  big  bunch  of  roots  at 
the  base  of  the  trunk  showing  above  the  ground. 

Tigre  is  a  favorite  summer  resort  with  many,  and  it  has  nu- 
merous waterways  about  it  like  canals,  which  are  the  southern 
mouths  of  the  Parana  delta.  It  is  pleasant  pulling  about  upon 
them,  the  low  dividing  islands  being  filled  with  fruit  trees, 
especially  peach  and  pear.  Every  here  and  there  a  house 
nestles  among  the  trees,  making  a  pretty  picture,  or  you  pass  a 
float  and  boathouse,  all  the  boat  clubs  of  the  city  having  quar- 
ters here.  There  is  also  the  national  navy-yard,  and  some  tor- 
pedo-boats and  small  craft  were  laid  up  alongside  the  bank.  It 
is  difficult  to  imagine  how  anything  of  much  draft  could  be 
gotten  out  if  needed,  unless  they  made  a  long  trip  up  this  branch 
of  the  Parana  to  San  Pedro,  and  then  came  down  the  main 
branch.  Tigre  gets  its  name  from  the  capture  there  of  a  South 
American  leopard,  which  the  natives  call  a  tiger.  It  probably 
came  down  the  river  on  one  of  the  many  floating  islands,  and 


144  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

must  have  made  a  long  journey.  When  we  went  ashore  to  ex- 
plore one  of  these  islands  the  mosquitoes  were  so  numerous  and 
hungry  that  we  returned  to  our  boat  and  to  Buenos  Ayres 
dinnerless,  but  having  furnished  dinner  to  many  hungry 
hummers. 


XIX. 

UP  THE  URUGUAY  RIVER— CITY  OF  COLONIA. 

A  MEMORABLE  CHRISTMAS — THE  HEROIC  THIRTY-THREE — 
WHERE  THE  FIRST  BLOW  FOR  INDEPENDENCE  WAS 
STRUCK — THE  LIEBIG  EXTRACT  HEAD-QUARTERS — PICT- 
URESQUE COSTUMES. 

ON  the  Uruguay  bank  of  the  river  of  the  same  name  is  the 
ancient  and  pretty  little  town  of  Colonia.  It  is  built  on  a. 
point  stretching  out  into  the  river  and  is  near  the  junction  of 
the  Parana  and  Uruguay,  which  unite  to  form  the  Rio  de  la- 
Plata — or  "  The  Platte,"  as  Englishmen  persist  in  calling  it — 
some  eighty  or  ninety  miles  above  Montevideo.  It  was  one  of 
the  first  forts,  and  was  held  alternately  by  the  Portuguese  and 
Spanish  in  colonial  days,  being  a  bone  of  contention  because  of 
its  situation  and  the  large  settlements  of  Indians  near  at  hand. 
As  seen  from  the  river  it  looks  very  gray  and  quite  large,  the 

two  more  prominent  objects  being  the  church  with  two  towers 

10 


140  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

and  a  round  dome  and  a  round  windmill  that  looks  as  if  it  had 
drifted  down  here  from  Holland  and  felt  lonely  and  forlorn. 

Christmas  day !  and  a  lovelier  one  never  dawned,  as  far  as 
nature  was  concerned,  than  that  which  greeted  us  one  year 
not  long  ago,  in  the  little  town  'of  Colonia  del  Sacramento, 
which  lay  smiling  in  the  sunshine  ;  the  fair,  green  country 
stretched  away  on  either  side,  and  a  faint,  soft,  northern 
breeze  rippled  the  water,  idly  napped  the  sails  of  an  anchored 
schooner,  and,  farther  out,  lifted  the  pennant  and  fluttered  the 
folds  of  the  ensign  on  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  men-of-war  that 
looked  as  bright  as  paint  and  care  could  make  her.  At  the 
wharf  lay  a  little  passenger  steamer  that  in  the  morning  had 
come  over  from  Buenos  Ayres ;  about  noon  she  got  up  steam 
for  the  return  trip,  and  soon  after,  three  young  men  came 
down  the  narrow,  crooked  old  street  that  widened  where 
it  reached  the  police  barracks,  until  there  was  quite  a  little 
plaza  between  them,  the  hotel  and  the  head  of  the  wharf. 
One  of  the  men  turned  into  the  police  barracks,  the  other 
two  kept  on  until  they  reached  a  watchman's  hut  at  the 
shore  end  of  the  wharf,  behind  which  they  placed  them- 
selves and  carefully  watched  the  plaza.  There  were  a  good 
many  people  in  the  hotel,  dining ;  while  a  few  came  straying 
down  the  street  and  went  on  board  the  steamer. 

Finally,  as  it  was  nearing  time  for  the  steamer  to  leave, 
two  men  appeared  upon  the  scene.  One  glanced  about 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  147 

rather  apprehensively,  for  he  knew  that  he  had  ruined  the 
daughter  of  the  Jefe  Politico,  some  two  years  before  and 
then  refused  to  marry  her,  taking  refuge  and  marrying  in 
the  neighboring  republic.  Her  father  followed  him  to  the 
Argentine  at  the  time,  seeking  his  life,  and  could  not  find 
him,  but  left  word  that  he  must  keep  out  of  Uruguay  or  take 
the  consequences.  He  had  ventured  over,  because  he  knew 
the  Jefe  was  in  Montevideo,  but  he  forgot  the  sons,  yet  they 
were  there,  and,  when  they  saw  him  coming,  advanced,  and 
firing  began  ;  for  a  few  minutes  the  four  men  were  rushing 
about  the  open  space,  then  the  betrayer  fell,  and  his  brother- 
in-law  was  chased  into  a  little  butcher-shop  and  finished. 
Then  the  firing  ceased,  and  the  police  sallying  out  gathered 
up  two  dead  men,  two  badly  wounded  men,  four  pistols,  and 
a  sword  cane  ;  but  they  could  not  gather  up  the  blood  which 
was  in  spots  all  over  the  pavement,  sidewalks,  and  houses. 
The  people  gathered  as  if  by  magic,  as  soon  as  the  firing 
ceased,  for  one  soon  learns  to  seek  shelter  in  South  America, 
when  one  hears  shots  in  the  street;  and  then  the  tumult 
began.  The  two  wounded  boys,  eighteen  and  twenty-four 
years  of  age,  were  behind  the  barred  archway  of  the  police 
quarters  with  their  brother,  who  passed  in  there  as  they  first 
came  down.  These  boys  seem  to  have  been  rather  wild, 
and  the  father  was  said  to  be  then  in  Montevideo  explain- 
ing something  they  had  written ;  anyway,  in  spite  of  the 


148  ALONGSHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAR. 

stain  on  their  honor  that  they  had  wiped  out,  they  were 
intensely  unpopular,  and  the  people  wanted  their  blood,  seem- 
ing entirely  reckless  as  to  how  much  of  their  own  was  spilt 
in  getting  that  for  which  they  thirsted. 

Uruguay  is  divided  into  provinces,  and  the  chief  civil  offi- 
cers, who  are  appointed  by  the  president,  and  represent  him, 
are  called  Jefe  Politicos,  political  chiefs,  the  Constitution  pro- 
viding that  they  shall  not  be  military  men.  Under  them  is 
a  Primero  Official,  first  official,  who  acts  in  their  absence ; 
hence  the  first  officer  took  charge  in  Colonia  and  proceeded 
to  act.  He  had  only  twelve  police,  and  in  answer  to  his 
telegrams  for  help  sent  to  Montevideo,  he  was  told  to  do 
the  best  he  could.  Twelve  police  to  guard  two  wounded 
boys  and  prevent  a  revolution  in  the  town  by  calming  the 
excited  populace  who  were  collecting  in  groups,  painting  red 
daggers  on  doors  and  talking  excitedly.  The  brother-in- 
law  who  was  murdered  because  he  happened  to  be  with  the 
betrayer,  was  much  liked  and  numerously  related.  He  had 
lived  in  the  country,  but  wishing  educational  advantages  for 
his  eight  children,  he  had  just  moved  into  town  and  opened 
a  small  shop,  where  he  lived  with  his  family,  as  well  as 
the  helpless  mother  of  his  wife,  and  his  death  seemed  with- 
out excuse.  In  a  couple  of  hours  we  saw  two  cheap  cof- 
fins carried  down  the  street  and  taken  into  the  police  bar- 
racks, soon  they  were  brought  out  with  the  bodies  in  them, 


ALONG  8HOBE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-  WAR.  149 

which  must  have  been  stripped,  as  beside  each  coffin  walked 
a  man  with  a  hat  and  a  bundle  of  bloody  clothes.  I  was 
told  that  their  throats  had  been  cut,  and  had  grown  so 
used  to  tales  of  cutting  throats  of  dead  people  and  prisoners 
that  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  it.  A  crowd  followed  the 
bodies  to  the  little  shop  where  the  widow  and  children  were 
waiting,  and  by  this  time  the  first  officer,  who  was  thoroughly 
frightened  and  longing  for  help,  bethought  him  of  the  man- 
of-war  in  the  harbo: .  He  appealed  to  the  Captain  for  armed 
men  to  prevent  riot  and  bloodshed  and  aid  him  in  protect- 
ing his  prisoners  as  well  as  the  lives  of  innocent  people 
who  would  be  killed. 

He  was  advised  by  the  Captain  not  to  call  for  aid  unless 
he  positively  needed  it,  but  seeing  his  position  and  hearing 
the  people  talk,  it  was-  impossible  not  to  agree  as  to  the 
gravity  of  the  situation,  and  as  he  insisted,  some  of  our 
marines,  prepared  for  business,  were  put  in  boats  and  taken 
to  the  shore,  but  not  allowed  to  land  until  the  Captain  had 
once  more  seen  the  official,  and  urged  him  to  make  an  appeal 
the  better  class  of  people  to  aid  him  and  try  and  do  with- 
out external  assistance. 

Finally,  he  said  the  men  could  go  back,  and  that  if  there 
was  immediate  danger  he  would  make  a  signal  by  firing  a 
gun  and  hoisting  a  lantern,  then  he  would  need  help  and 
was  assured  that  he  should  have  it.  Twilight  came  and 


150  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

went,  and  the  stars  came  out,  making  a  glorious  Christmas  night, 
but  still  the  little  town  was  troubled,  some  three  hundred  men 
gathered  in  a  hall  and  declined  to  separate  or  help  the  First 
Official,  his  prisoners  were  unpopular  and  he  could  not  get 
anyone  to  forego  the  pleasures  of  a  revolution  by  helping 
him  to  avert  it.  At  last  he  saw  no  other  course  open  to 
him,  and  at  nine  o'clock  he  made  the  signal  for  help.  All 
was  quiet  on  the  ship,  the  men  were  in  their  hammocks 
and  the  officers  grouped  on  deck  or  in  the  ward-room, 
talking  of  the  day  ashore  ;  but  in  a  moment  all  was  activity, 
the  marines  jumped  into  their  clothing,  and  receiving  ammu- 
tion  and  rations,  took  their  places  in  the  boats  that  had 
been  manned  and  brought  alongside;  fifteen  minutes  past 
nine  and  they  shoved  off  from  the  ship.  Twenty-five  men 
and  an  officer  landed  at  the  wharf,  formed  and  marched 
through  the  crowd  to  the  police  barracks'  gate,  turned  in 
and  vanished  from  the  following  gaze  of  the  crowd,  but 
their  appearance,  bearing  and  business  air,  had  been  marked, 
the  crowd  knev/  they  were  there,  and  it  made  a  nest  of 
hornets  that  they  did  not  care  to  disturb,  so  without  any 
orders  or  warnings,  group  after  group  dissolved  and  went 
home,  the  grand  meeting  dispersed  and  all  slept  but  those 
on  guard — so  passed  the  birthday  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
The  next  morning  the  dead  men  were  buried  and  some 
violent  talk  was  indulged  in  over  the  remains,  but  the 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  151 

knowledge  of  an  obstinate  fight,  if  a  row  was  begun  or  the 
barracks  attacked,  cooled  their  ardor  effectually,  and  when 
in  the  afternoon  a  little  Uruguayan  man-of-war  came  gliding 
into  port,  all  was  calm  on  the  surface ;  but  soldiers  were 
landed  and  the  place  put  under  martial  law,  the  President 
having  deposed  the  old  Jefe  Politico,  and  contrary  to  law, 
having  appointed  a  military  man  in  his  place,  who  came 
up  on  the  vessel.  Our  marines  returned  aboard  and  peace 
was  gradually  restored,  but  a  number  of  cow-boys  and  hard 
characters  came  into  the  town  the  next  day  in  hopes  of 
finding  a  pretty  row  on  hand  from  which  they  could  pluck 
some  advantage. 

The  town  now  has  about  2,000  inhabitants  and  seems  a  thriv- 
ing, happy,  quiet  place.  There  are  some  curious  old  streets 
with  worn  pavements,  high  side-walks,  and  crumbling  houses, 
with  stone  benches  along  the  fronts,  on  which  Spaniards  and 
Portuguese  have  lounged,  feasting  their  triumphs,  and  quarrel- 
ing over  defeats  before  our  century  was  begun.  Here  the  houses 
are  low  and  set  close  to  the  street,  the  windows  and  doors 
uncommonly  small  and  protected  by  heavy  wooden  shutters,  the 
interiors  dark,  smoke-stained,  and  irregular,  contrasting  forcibly 
with  the  gardens  at  the  rear,  full  of  bright'flowers  and  sunshine. 

In  the  new  part  of  the  town  the  principal  streets  are  General 
Flores  and  the  Eighteenth  of  July.  These  are  broad,  well 
paved,  and  laid  out  in  straight  lines,  the  houses  and  shops  along 


152  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

them  shining  with  fresh  paint.  There  is  a  large  plaza,  carefully 
graveled,  with  benches  and  some  tiny  trees  set  around  the  sides. 
This  is  quite  a  new  plaza  and  arranged  in  the  latest  Monte- 
videan  fashion,  but  I  liked  the  little,  old  grass-grown  one  beside 
the  church  much  better.  Just  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  is 

O 

the  bull-ring,  and  we  investigated  it  thoroughly  when  empty, 
but  never  happened  to  be  there  during  the  season,  which  is  in 
summer.  Bull  fights  are  not  allowed  in  the  Argentine,  but 
they  are  in  Uruguay,  so,  as  Buenos  Ayres  is  only  thirty  miles 
away,  across  the  river,  some  capitalists  built  the  ring  at  Colonia, 
run  a  steamer  over  for  the  fights,  and  thus  the  native  of  Ar- 
gentine can  easily  satisfy  his  longings  for  a  bloody  fight. 

About  half  a  mile  beyond  was  the  cemetery,  and  near  that 
the  beach  where  one  can  still  gather  bola  stones  left  there  by 
the  Indians,  for  here  was  their  largest  village  of  all  those  near 
the  colony.  The  views  of  the  surrounding  country  are  lovely, 
rolling,  undulating  fields  of  rich  green  clover,  with  cactus 
hedges  and  cattle  roaming  about,  seemingly  at  will ;  here  and 
there  a  clump  of  trees  and  under  them  the  gleam  of  the  white 
house  of  some  estanciero.  Then  comes  the  broad  river  with  its 
many  islands,  some  of  the  latter  forming  the  harbor,  as  there  is 
no  curve  to  the  shore,  only  a  straight  stretch  of  green  bank, 
which  leads  you  on,  up  past  Martin  Garcia  flats,  which  are 
always  bestrewn  with  wrecks  and  vessels  aground,  and  so  on 
up  the  Uruguay  river. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  153 

The  Uruguay  is  a  magnificent  river,  which  rises  in  Brazil, 
sweeps  around  in  a  colossal  curve  on  its  way  to  the  ocean,  and 
so  curving  forms  the  western  boundary  of  Uruguay,  separating 
it  from  the  Argentine  province  of  Entre  Rios.  Broad  and  deep, 
with  low  banks  on  either  side,  and  some  low  islands  in  it,  the 
river  is  an  ideal  highway  for  commerce,  but  it  is  not  pictur- 
esque. Miles  of  low,  marsh-like  banks,  covered  with  coarse  grass 
and  gnarled,  stunted  trees,  among  which  live  snakes,  leopards, 
and  carpinchos  ;  here  and  there  the  hut  of  a  wood-gatherer  in  a 
tiny  clearing,  its  mud  walls  and  roof  of  brown  thatch  seeming 
to  melt  into  the  natural  tints  of  its  surroundings  until  it  is 
scarcely  visible  ;  here  and  there  a  long  stretch  of  green  meadow, 
a  low  bluff,  or  a  view  of  rolling  country,  relieves  the  monotony ; 
but  always,  everywhere,  herds  of  horned  cattle,  horses,  and 
sheep  grazing  and  wandering  about.  This  is  what  you  see  day 
after  day,  except  the  small  pretty  towns  on  the  banks.  Below 
Paysandu  they  are  all,  with  one  exception,  on  the  Uruguay  side 
of  the  river,  that  bank  being  the  highest,  and  they  are  generally 
built  on  a  point  that  stretches  out  into  the  river  or  on  a  low  bluff. 
Carmelita  is  on  a  point,  and  next  above  is  Nueva  Palmyra,  fa- 
mous as  the  place  near  which  thirty-and-three  Orientales  landed 
and  raised  the  standard  of  revolt,  thus  beginning  the  war  which 
ended  in  the  liberation  of  their  native  Uruguay  from  the  yoke 
of  Brazil.  The  thirty-three  are  worshipped  as  heroes,  almost 
as  saints,  and  an  old  man  who  sometimes  came  to  the  hotel  in 


154  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE. 

Montevideo  to  play  billiards  with  friends  was  pointed  out  to  me 
as  most  admirable  and  worthy  of  note,  because  he  fought  under 
the  thirty-three.  He  had  snow-white  hair  and  a  fine,  intellect- 
ual face.  The  thirty-three  made  their  plans  and  arrangements 
in  the  Argentine  province  of  Entre  Rios,  and  crossing  the  river, 
landed  on  a  sandy  beach  just  above  Nueva  Palmyra.  The  exact 
spot  is  marked  by  a  low,  white  monument,  which  is  soon  to  be 
surrounded  by  a  park,  the  government  having  accepted  the 
adjacent  land  for  that  purpose.  Fray  Bentos  and  Independencia 
are  built  on  two  points  with  only  a  curving  beach  between,  In- 
dependencia being  a  regular  town  and  Fray  Bentos  consisting 
solely  of  the  great  Liebig  extract-of-beef  factory,  buildings  de- 
pendent on  it,  and  cottages  for  the  workmen.  At  the  wharf 
lay  four  large  foreign  barks  and  a  small  Uruguayan  steamer, 
all  taking  in  cargoes. 

The  highest  town  we  could  go  to  was  the  large  one  of  Pay- 
sandu,  and  here  we  stopped  for  some  time.  It  is  built  on 
ground  which  slopes  gradually  toward  the  river,  and  the  houses 
look  like  orchestra  chairs  as  viewed  from  the  stage,  the  stage  in 
this  case  being  the  broad  river,  while  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
main  aisle  or  street  stands  the  cathedral.  Paysandu  is  a  thriv- 
ing place,  with  a  good  deal  of  commerce  in  hides,  skins,  and 
beef  tongues,  and  is  soon  to  be  connected  by  rail  with  Monte- 
video. The  firm  of  merchants  doing  the  most  business,  and  hav- 
ing the  only,  fine  large  warehouses  in  the  place,  is  that  of  Huf- 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  155 

nagel  &  Plottier,  the  elder  member  being  an  American,  one  of 
our  citizens,  and  also  our  vice-consul.  The  city  was  a  favorite 
fighting  ground  during  the  frequent  revolutions  that  formerly 
swept  over  the  country,  and  some  brave  fighting  has  been  done 
there,  one  of  its  defenses  being  celebrated  in  prose  and  poetry. 
The  streets  are  ill-paved,  but  the  sidewalks  are  good  and  the 
houses  also,  having  pretty  inner  courts  and  gardens  filled  with 
plants  and  fruit  trees.  Some  of  the  streets  have  orange  trees 
planted  along  the  curbs,  and  they  look  very  pretty  with  the 
ripe  fruit  and  flowers  on  them.  The  cathedral  is  a  large,  fine 
one,  with  two  towers  in  front  and  a  dome  over  the  high  altar. 
Its  proportions  are  good,  and  the  interior,  with  its  simple 
decorations,  admirable.  On  the  occasion  of  our  first  visit  there 
were  several  women  moving  about, pinning  large  bows  of  ribbon 
on  the  clean  white  altar-cloths,  placing  immense  bunches  of 
sweet  natural  flowers  everywhere,  preparing  for  Sunday,  which 
was  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary.  Several  stores  are 
for  the  sale  of  fine  silver  ornaments  for  saddles  and  bridles,  they 
being  made  in  Paysandu,  the  silver  hammered  into  beautiful 
shapes  and  designs  by  the  intelligent  workmen,  the  whip 
handles,  knife-sheaths,  and  saddle-yokes  being  especially  ornate 
and  good.  Most  of  the  men  dress  in  the  modern  yuaclw,  or 
cow-boy  style,  that  is,  some  kind  of  a  low,  soft  hat,  flannel  shirt 
and  poncho,  a  broad  belt,  pair  of  very  full  trousers,  plaited  in  at 
the  waist  and  around  the  ankles,  the  costume  finished  off  by  a 


156  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

pair  of  low  boots  or  canvas  shoes  with  rope  soles, — such  as  are 
used  at  home  for  bathing  shoes, — the  latter  seeming  to  be  great 
favorites.  These  suits  are  quite  picturesque  and  said  to  be 
especially  comfortable  for  horseback.  One  day  we  drove  about 
five  miles  in  the  country  to  visit  the  estancia  of  one  Senor  Mon- 
grell,  a  native.  The  road  was  broad  and  poor,  the  sides  of  it 
bright  with  red  verbena  blossoms,  that  plant  being  a  native  of 
the  country  ;  now  and  then  we  drove  through  a  little  brook, 
and  passed  the  corner  of  the  estancia  of  the  Spanish  consul, 
which  is  sixty-three  square  miles  in  extent,  and  given  up 
entirely  to  grazing.  The  rich  green  fields  are  everywhere 
separated  by  smooth  wire  fences,  barbed  wire  being  tabooed  in 
all  these  countries  as  a  barbarous,  cruel  invention ;  and  in  the 
fields  were  grazing  a  great  many  horses  and  cattle,  as  well  as 
some  of  the  small  native  ostriches.  Mongrell's  estancia  is  given 
over  to  raising  young  from  imported  cattle,  to  sell  to  other  es- 
tancieros  and  improving  his  own  stock.  He  had  some  fine 
English  and  French  stallions  and  mares,  each  in  a  big  box- 
stall.  Some  fine  Durham  and  Holstein  bulls  and  cows,  and 
quite  a  flock  of  merino  sheep.  The  latter  came  from  Vermont. 
The  house  was  a  low  adobe  one,  and  faced  on  three  sides  of  a 
court.  The  center  was  the  residence,  and  the  wings  for  offices 
and  kitchens.  There  was  a  broad  piazza  to  the  residence,  and 
we  sat  there  some  time,  talking  to  the  pretty  senora  and  her 
children,  the  senor  having  unfortunately  gone  to  a  neighbor's, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  157 

so  we  missed  him.  Several  neighbors  rode  up  as  we  sat  there, 
and  mat£  was  passed.  As  we  drove  back  the  country  looked 
lovely  in  the  afternoon  sunlight,  and  we  later  enjoyed  a  dinner 
in  Mr.  Hufnagel's  roomy  patio,  under  the  budding  grape-vines, 
surrounded  by  flowers,  and  the  moon  so  bright  that  the  lamp 
was  superfluous. 


XX. 

PAYSANDU  AND  THE  CAPITAL  OF  ENTRE  RIOS. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  TYRANT  TJRQUIZA — HIS  ALTAR  IN 
THE  CATHEDRAL — THE  SPLENDID  UNIVERSITY  AT  CONCEP- 
CION AN  AMERICAN  GIRL'S  KINDERGARTEN. 

OUR  next  visit  to  Paysandu  was  made  a  year  later,  and  we 
found  the  town  looking  much  the  same  as  it  did  the  year 
before,  only  this  time  we  came  in  the  season  when  halls  and 
operas  were  the  order  of  the  day.  We  went  to  a  hall  given  hy 
a  Club,  and  it  was  a  most  creditable  affair.  The  rooms  were 
good-sized,  well-decorated,  the  music  good,  the  supper  the 
sanies  and  the  very  best  families  there  to  dance  with.  The 
only  dances  they  have  which  are  different  from  ours  are  a 
quadrille  and  the  danza.  In  the  quadrille  every  one  stands 
up  in  two  long  lines,  the  music  begins  to  play,  and  you  begin 
to  bow — every  few  steps  you  bow,  and  in  fact  you  cannot  bow 
too  often ;  it  is  the  essence  of  the  dance.  The  danza  is  a 


ALONG  SI10EE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  159 

round — well,  not  a  round  dance,  but  a  round  walk-around. 
The  music  is  slow  and  pretty,  with  the  sound  of  castanets 
in  it.  One  takes  two  short  steps  to  one  side,  turns  half 
around,  and  then  takes  two  steps  in  another  direction,  keep- 
ing it  up  any  length  of  time,  and  dancing  it  without  any 
trouble.  The  opera-house  is  large,  fairly  well  appointed, 
and  would  be  comfortable  if  these  people  would  only  once 
acknowledge  that  they  have  a  winter  and  prepare  for  it.  Then 
they  would  close  up  some  of  the  cracks  in  the  partitions,  shut 
the  doors,  and  warm  the  place.  As  it  is,  we  sat  in  our  heaviest 
wraps,  with  shawls  over  our  knees,  and  heard  "  Faust "  and 
"Ernani"  very  well  sung.  The  set  for  the  garden  scene  for 
*'  Faust "  was  a  patio  with  a  tiled  cistern  in  the  center,  and 
all  the  plants  set  out  in  tubs  and  kerosene  cans,  which  un- 
doubtedly struck  the  native  as  quite  the  proper  thing,  and  it 
did  not  look  badly. 

The  only  town  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Uruguay  is  ten 
miles  below  Paysandu  and  is  called  Concepcion  del  Uruguay, 
for  two  reasons  :  firstly,  because  it  is  popularly  supposed  to  be 
on  the  river,  and,  secondly,  to  distinguish  it  from  another  Con- 
cepcion in  the  Argentine  Republic.  The  city  used  to  have  a 
good  port,  and  as  it  was  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Entre 
Rios,  had  a  good  deal  of  trade,  but  an  island  formed  in  front 
of  it  and  has  grown  until  now  only  the  smallest  trading  ves- 
sels can  make  their  way  up  the  narrow,  shallow  channel  to 


100  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

the  wharves,  and  everything  of  any  size  must  anchor  in  the 
river  some  three  miles  away. 

A  railway  has  been  built  from  Parana,  on  the  Parana  River, 
the  new  capital  of  the  province,  to  this  city,  and  the  railway 
company,  has  run  a  long  mole  and  wharf  away  out  to  the 
recent  deep  anchorage.  We  landed  at  this,  and  the  railway 
authorities  kindly  sent  down  a  hand-car,  which  took  us  to  the 
shore  end  of  the  mole,  where  a  carriage  was  waiting.  Just 
here  there  are  two  large  brick  buildings,  one  of  them  a  custom- 
house and  the  other  for  the  use  of  the  captain  of  the  port, 
and  we  went  in  to  call  on  the  last-named  official.  He  was  a 
pleasant  man  of  the  usual  Spanish  type  in  appearance,  and 
the  most  conspicuous  article  on  his  writing-table  was  a  big 
Colt's  revolver,  placed  there,  perhaps,  as  a  compliment  to 
the  Norte  Americanos. 

The  roads  are  splendid  and  we  drove  quickly  over  one  of 
them  across  the  intervening  plain,  and  were  whirled  into  the 
town  and  up  to  the  main  plaza,  where  we  alighted  and  began 
to  explore.  Entre  Rios,  like  most  of  the  other  provinces  when 
the  Argentine  was  a  confederation,  and  not  a  republic,  as  it  is 
now,  had  its  share  of  tyrants,  but  he  who  eclipsed  them  all  was 
Gen.  Jose  Urquiza,  shining  second  only  in  the  infamous  con- 
stellation to  Juan  Manuel  Rosas,  of  Buenos  Ayres,  and  being 
rivaled  by  Lopez,  of  Paraguay.  Urquiza  managed  to  get  pos- 
session of  most  of  the  land  in  the  province  and  lived  like  a  czar. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  161 

His  grand  palace  was  at  San  Jose,  about  ten  miles  from  Con- 
cepcion,  but  on  one  side  of  the  plaza  we  saw  a  large,  fine  house, 
known  as  his  town  palace,  and  it  is  by  far  the  finest  residence 
in  the  city.  We  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  lovely  patio  through 
the  open  gate,  but  some  of  the  family  were  living  there,  which 
prevented  our  going  farther  in.  One  side  of  the  plaza  was 
occupied  by  the  cathedral  and  university,  standing  side  by  side. 
The  latter  is  a  famous  institution,  and  had  been  established 
thirty-six  years  the  28th  of  this  July.  Youths  from  all  this 
part  of  South  America  attend  it,  and  it  is  so  well  endowed  by 
the  general  government  that  even  the  poorest  ambitious  young 
man  has  a  chance,  for  the  charges  are  only  ten  nationals  a 
year,  and  a  small  matriculation  fee.  The  buildings  are  large 
and  comfortable,  the  corps  of  professors  numerous,  and  said  to 
be  excellent,  while  the  regular  and  elective  courses  of  study 
seem  very  comprehensive.  They  have  a  drill-room,  gym- 
nasium, and  good  showing  of  apparatus  in  the  chemistry  de- 
partment. The  museum  has  a  fine  collection  of  fossils,  agates, 
and  petrifactions  gathered  in  the  province,  and  is  presided  over 
by  a  most  enthusiastic  Frenchman,  one  of  the  professors. 

There  are  a  great  many  schools  in  the  city,  and  a  normal 
college.  At  the  latter  is  one  of  our  countrywomen  in  charge 
of  the  kintergarten  department.  The  cathedral  is  large,  and 
the  interior  would  be  beautiful  if  the  cheap,  tawdry  altars  were 
eliminated.  Only  one  has  any  claims  to  beauty  :  that  belongs 


162  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

to  the  Urquiza  family,  and  is  to  the  left  of  the  high  altar.  It 
is  quite  pretty  with  its  many  silver  ornaments,  and  near  it,  in 
the  wall,  the  tyrant  is  buried.  A  marble  tablet  over  him  bears 
an  inscription  which  informs  one  that  here  lie  the  remains  of 
Gen.  Jose  Urquiza,  who  was  assassinated  at  his  palace  of  San 
Jose  at  7:30  in  the  evening,  the  llth  day  of  April,  1870,  aged 
sixty-nine  years,  and  that  this  tablet  is  erected  to  his  memory 
by  his  sorrowing  widow  and  children.  If  his  fate  had  only 
found  him  out  about  fifteen  years  earlier  there  would  have  been 
fewer  widows  and  orphans  in  Entre  Rios  by  several  hundred, 
for  his  path  was  strewn  with  the  corpses  of  those  he  hated, 
disliked,  or  could  not  bend  to  his  will. 

The  city  is  large  and  spreads  a  long  distance  out  over  the 
plain,  but  there  is  nothing  of  especial  interest  in  it,  and  the 
only  industry,  besides  teaching,  is  an  aguardiente  factory.  The 
plaza  is  unusually  large  and  was  gay  with  flower-beds,  besides 
having  many  good-sized  trees,  whose  shade  was  refreshing,  and 
underneath  one  was  a  tiny  little  beer  garden,  with  just  room 
for  two  tables.  Besides  the  cathedral,  university,  and  Urquiza 
palace,  the  penitentiary,  Jefe  Politico's  building,  theater,  and 
the  largest  hotel  in  the  place,  all  front  on  this  plaza.  We  were 
driven  out  to  see  the  railroad  station,  which  is  white  and 
dazzling  to  the  eyes,  as  it  is  quite  new,  and  not  a  bit  of  green 
near  it,  and  the  sunshine  pouring  down  upon  it. 


XXI. 

UP  THE  RIVER  URUGUAY. 
NUEVA  PALMYRA. 

WEALTH  OF  LITTLE  WORTH  TO  AN  EXILE — A  TYPICAL  "  FORTY- 
NINER  " —  A  SUBURBAN  HORSE  RACE — THE  GIRL  WHO 
PLAYED  A  WHOLE  OPERA  ON  THE  PIANO. 

ON  one  of  our  trips  up  the  River  Uruguay,  our  anchor 
dropped  just  in  front  of  the  sleepy-looking  little  town  of  Nueva 
Palmyra.  Three  wharves  jut  out  into  the  river  from  the 
stretch  of  sandy  beach,  and  while  they  are  all  good  to  land  at, 
the  shore  end  of  each  dumps  one  in  the  sand,  for  the  beach 
runs  two  or  three  streets  back  into  the  town,  and  these  streets 
are  less  well  provided  with  sidewalks  than  any  others  in  the 
village.  But  once  the  hard  ground  is  reached  the  walking  is 
very  pleasant,  and  the  first  day  we  wandered  all  about  the 
streets.  The  ground  slopes  toward  the  river,  and  in  a  few 
places  it  is  quite  steep,  so  by  pausing  when  we  reached  a 


164  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

summit,  every  here  and  there,  pretty  views  of  broad  river,  flat 
islands,  and  rolling  country  met  and  pleased  the  eye.  The 
houses  are  the  usual  one-story  brick  affairs,  covered  with  adobe, 
and  relieved  from  perfect  ugliness  by  the  occasional  trees  in  the 
front  and  blooming  plants  in  the  patios.  Many  of  the  trees 
were  orange,  and  loaded  with  fruit  and  blossoms.  The  deathly 
stillness  of  the  place  was  most  disagreeable  ;  the  ground  was  so 
soft  that  horses  and  people  passed  like  specters  ;  only  the 
barking  of  the  dogs  broke  the  pall-like  silence.  The  main 
plaza  is  heavily  shaded  by  pine  as  well  as  eucaljrptus  trees,  the 
sod  beneath  them  plentifully  bestrewn  with  the  red  and  yellow 
blossoms  of  wild  oxalis,  and  there  were  several  seats  near  the 
paths.  Resting  awhile  on  one  of  them,  we  were  first  inter- 
viewed by  the  dogs,  and  there  were  any  number  of  them,  for 
the  commonest  sight  in  this  part  of  the  world  is  a  bunch  of 
dogs.  Every  inhabitant  must  own  several.  Some  are  well- 
bred,  but  the  predominating  canine  is  a  small,  intelligent, 
yellow  cur. 

After  the  dogs  had  finished  their  inspection  came  the  children, 
wonderfully  pretty  ones,  too,  and  among  them,  a  boy  with  an 
ideal  Italian  face  and  a  lithe  little  figure.  He  was  about  six 
years  old  and  hugged  tight  to  his  little  breast  a  pair  of  big 
chickens,  which  he  shyly  confided  to  us  he  wanted  to  sell  for 
thirty-five  cents  the  pair,  and  when  we  took  them  he  was  too 
busy  looking  at  us  to  count  the  money  in  his  chubby  little  fist. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  165 

I  suppose  he  wondered  what  we  wanted  them  for,  and  certainly 
they  were  an  embarrassing  acquisition  until  fortune  favored  us 
by  sending  a  man  along  who  was  willing  to  take  them  to  the 
gringo's  boat. 

Facing  the  plaza  were  the  usual  police  barracks,  a  drug-store, 
post-office,  dwelling-houses,  and  church.  The  latter  was  the 
most  forlorn  building  of  the  kind  that  I  ever  saw  ;  small,  its 
bricks  uncovered  and  chipped  off,  the  tower  just  carried  a  few 
feet  above  the  roof  and  abandoned.  Doves  circled  above  it  and 
had  their  nest  built  in  the  places  where  the  beams  of  the 
builder's  scaffolding  had  left  holes.  The  door  stood  wide  open, 
and,  entering,  we  finally  made  out  in  the  obscurity  a  brick  floor 
full  of  traps  for  unwary  feet,  a  few  wooden  benches,  three  poor 
altars  and  a  preaching  pulpit  draped  in  crocheted  lace.  Glass 
was  lacking  and  the  window  spaces  were  covered  with  cloth, 
the  consequence  being  that  the  darkness  could  almost  be  felt. 
Later  we  saw  in  the  street  a  solitary  priest,  and  for  forlornness 
and  shabbiness  of  aspect  he  matched  the  church. 

As  is  usual  in  Uruguay,  there  was  excellent  shooting  all 
about  the  town,  quail,  doves,  duck,  and  snipe  abounding,  and 
as  a  gentleman  of  English  descent,  and  a  true  sport,  placed  him- 
self, his  dogs,  and  lands  at  our  disposal,  we  lived  on  game  until 
we  cried  out  "  pas  toujours  de  perdrix"  His  house  was  not 
far  from  town,  so  one  Sunday  afternoon  we  walked  out  there. 
Our  way  led  us  through  the  quiet  little  town,  which  looked  as 


100  ALONG  SHORE   WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

usual  ;  but  when  we  emerged  on  to  the  plain  beyond  it,  we  saw 
some  thirty  men  mounted  on  the  wiry,  small  horses  of  the  coun- 
try watching  with  much  interest  a  scrub  race,  which  finished 
just  as  we  joined  a  knot  of  men  on  foot,  among  whom  were  some 
of  our  friends. 

The  winner  was  a  pretty  sorrel  horse,  and  his  owner,  a  lieu- 
tenant of  police,  was  jubilant  because  he  had  made  twenty 
dollars.  This  was  evidently  considered  big  stakes,  and  a  pilot, 
who  had  come  up  with  us,  was  much  amused  at  having  won 
twenty  cents  from  a  man  who  was  very  noisy  and  anxious  to 
bet  against  the  sorrel,  but  evidently  cautious  when  it  came  to  a 
practical  backing  of  his  opinion.  Leaving  them,  we  walked 
over  the  green  slopes,  which  were  cropped  close  by  a  large  flock 
of  sheep  that  were  wandering  about. 

Finally  we  turned  into  one  of  these  bits  of  road,  and  at  the 
farther  end  found  a  big  swinging  gate  set  in  the  wire  fence. 
From  this  the  road  led  us  through  the  barnyard  and  orchard  to 
the  long  house  with  thatched  roof,  where  we  were  cordially  wel- 
comed by  our  host,  who  always  wears  high  boots,  corduroys,  a 
velvet  coat  and  chimney-pot  hat,  the  quiet,  pleasant  Senora 
Pepa,  his  wife,  whom  he  has  never  allowed  to  learn  English, 
and  their  fourteen  dogs.  The  house  had  a  long,  low  porch 
along  the  front,  the  floor  of  which  was  even  with  the  outside 
ground,  and,  like  those  of  the  rooms,  formed  of  badly-laid  tiles. 
Everything  was  plain,  and  oh,  so  lacking  in  comfort !  I  gazed 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  167 

in  astonishment,  for  he  has  land  in  large  tracts,  the  rent  from 
some  of  them  bringing  him  in  $3,200  a  year,  and  that  alone 
would  have  given  them  comforts,  but  it  was  an  illustration  of 
how  indifferent  we  become  when  isolated  from  our  kind,  and 
how  easy  it  is  to  lapse  into  barbarism  of  life,  if  not  of  mind. 
His  mind  was  bright  and  trained,  he  was  well  up  in  the  doings 
and  sayings  of  the  world  of  to-day,  but  his  house  was  behind  his 
mind  by  several  centuries. 

There  was  one  United  States  citizen  in  the  place,  who  claimed 
to  have  been  a  good  deal  of  a  rolling-stone,  and  the  hirsute 
appearance  of  his  head  gave  one  the  impression  that  he — con- 
trary to  tradition — had  gathered  a  good  deal  of  moss.  He  said 
he  was  a  "  forty-niner,"  and  left  California  to  go  to  Chili  and 
help  Enrique  Meiggs  build  railroads ;  after  that  it  was  a  short 
journey  for  him  across  the  Andes  to  the  Argentine,  and  here,  as 
there  were  no  obstacles  on  the  level  pampas  to  call  a  halt,  the 
wind  blew  him  clear  across  country  to  the  river,  and  crossing 
that  he  landed  in  Uruguay,  where  he  had  prospered  and  soon 
intended  returning  to  California  to  settle  down.  He  had  pecul- 
iar ideas  on  the  subject  of  medicine ;  thought  gunpowder  the 
great  cure-all.  I  supposed  he  meant  taken  via  a  pistol  barrel, 
but  he  did  not ;  he  meant  swallowed  or  rubbed  ir. 

As  we  go  through  life  we  gradually  learn  a  great  deal.  I 
learned,  by  eating  a  bit  of  whale,  that  life  was  too  short  to 
spend  in  eating  peculiar  things  simply  to  say  you  had  done  so  ; 


168  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

and  in  Nueva  Palmyra  I  learned  not  to  ask  a  girl  to  play  the 
piano.  I  here  asked  a  healthy  girl  of  fourteen  if  she  would  not 
tocar  a  little,  and  she  was  so  kind  as  to  hammer  away  one  hour 
and  a  half.  She  played  an  opera  straight  through  with  never  a 
stop,  and  we  thus  unavoidably  made  a  rather  long  call,  espe- 
cially as  our  dinner  was  spoiling  on  board. 


XXII. 
FRAY  BENTOS. 

LIEBIG'S  EXTRACT  A  GREAT  URUGUAYAN  INDUSTRY — HOMES 
OF  THE  WORKMEN — THE  PROCESS  OF  MANUFACTURE. 

THE  twin  towns  of  Fray  Bentos  and  Independencia,  each  built 
on  a  point  that  juts  sharply  out  into  Uruguay  River,  are  quite 
pretty  from  a  distance — the  gray  houses  and  green  fields,  the 
curving  beach  between,  and  back  of  the  latter  a  road,  dotted 
with  houses  its  whole  length.  We  went  ashore  at  Independen- 
cia and  found  it  like  the  usual  river  town — a  good  wharf,  a 
number  of  short,  unpaved  streets,  with  here  and  there  a  stretch 
of  flag  or  brick  sidewalk,  a  few  stores,  the  window  of  one  or 
more  filled  with  silver  ornaments  for  harness,  whip-handles,  and 
mate*  bombillas,  many  one-storied  houses,  more  or  less  clean  and 
more  or  less  ornamented,  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  owner. 
We  quickly  walked  through  it  one  cool  autumn  morning, 
stopping  a  few  moments  to  enjoy  the  view  of  rolling  country 
covered  with  green  clover  from  the  pretty  plaza  which  lay  just 


170  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

at  the  top  of  a  steep  slope,  and  taking  the  road  along  the  river 
soon  reached  Fray  Bentos. 

Fray  Bentos  is  quite  a  little  town,  and  is  entirely  owned  by 
the  Liebig  Company.  All  their  extract  of  beef  is  made  there, 
and  the  houses  are  occupied  by  their  workmen.  We  passed 
several  of  these  houses  on  our  way  to  the  main  entrance  of  the 
works,  and  they  looked  cleanish  and  comfortable,  with  little 
flower-gardens  in  front  and  a  cistern  of  adobe  gleaming  white 
among  the  flowers.  Near  the  large  gate  was  an  office,  and  here 
we  were  received  by  Mr.  Webster,  the  cashier,,  as  it  was  too 
early  for  the  superintendent,  who  arrives  between  10  and  10:30. 
Mr.  Webster  showed  us  the  offices  and  then  the  long,  large 
board-room.  In  the  center  was  a  long  table  with  big  chairs 
around  it,  that  are  used  by  the  board  when  it  meets.  On  two 
of  the  walls  hung  maps  of  four  out  of  the  five  large  estancias 
owned  by  the  company  and  devoted  to  raising  cattle  for  their 
factory.  But  large  as  they  are,  they  cannot  supply  the  demand, 
and  great  numbers  have  to  be  bought  all  over  the  country,  they 
paying  on  an  average  from  $10  to  $12  a  head  for  good  beasts. 
One  side  of  the  room  was  lined  from  floor  to  ceiling  with  book- 
shelves, and  on  them  was  a  library  for  the  benefit  of  the  em- 
ploye's. At  the  farther  end  stood  a  large  sideboard  with  speci- 
mens of  the  products  of  the  factory,  just  as  it  was  when  placed 
in  the  last  world's  exhibition  in  Paris.  There  were  two  rows 
of  different-sized  jars  filled  with  the  extract  that  every  one 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  171 

knows  so  well,  a  jar  of  tallow  and  another  of  dried  beef  in 
powder,  and  yet  a  third  of  bone  dust,  also  tins  of  corned  beef  and 
of  beef  tongues.  There  was  a  large,  fine  room  adjoining  this, 
which  is  used  by  Mr.  Crocker,  an  Englishman,  the  superinten- 
dent of  the  works.  He  has  a  nice  house  surrounded  by  pretty 
grounds,  but  he  evidently  deserves  the  place  with  all  its 
emoluments,  for  everything  seemed  in  excellent  order,  and  as 
clean  as  possible  wherever  we  went. 

Leaving  this  building,  we  entered  the  main  yard,  and  fi:\st 
passed  the  meat-shop,  where  several  animals  are  cut  up  and 
dealt  out  each  day  gratis  to  the  workmen.  Just  beyond  was  a 
long,  low  shed,  with  a  sloping  floor,  paved  with  flagstones. 
Blood  stood  between  all  the  stones,  and  there  were  some  men 
busy  trying  to  wash  it  out  with  hose  and  water.  We  were  just 
too  late  to  see  the  killing,  they  having  stopped  two  or  three 
days  before,  for  which  I  was  truly  thankful.  We  entered  the 
shed,  and  at  one  end,  mounting  a  few  wooden  steps,  stood 
where  the  killing  takes  place.  It  was  small,  just  about  room 
enough  for  four  men  to  stand,  and  in  front  of  us  was  a  small  cir- 
cular stockade,  and  into  this  about  a  dozen  cattle  are  driven  at 
a  time.  The  loop  end  of  a  rawhide  lasso  is  dropped  over  the 
horns  of  one  of  the  animals  by  a  man  on  the  platform.  The 
other  end  is  attached  to  the  shaft  of  a  small  stationary  engine, 
which  revolves  quickly  and  draws  the  struggling  animal  into 
the  short  passage  and  up  to  the  feet  of  the  butcher  who,  stoop- 


172  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

ing  over,  with  one  blow  of  a  short,  heavy,  dagger-shaped  knife, 
severs  the  spinal  cord  just  back  of  the  head.  The  beast  drops 
on  to  the  floor  of  the  passage,  which  is  a  flat  car  and  runs  on  a 
track  out  into  the  open  shed.  Here  the  animal  is  rolled  on  to 
the  stones,  a  man  seizes  it,  disembowels,  skins,  and  cuts  it  into 
quarters.  These  are  the  employe's  who  make  the  most  money. 
They  are  paid  fifteen  cents  an  animal,  and  make  from  $175  to 
$200  a  month.  The  heads,  hoofs,  and  horns  are  taken  to  the  bone- 
dust  factory,  the  quarters  are  hung  on  hooks  on  long  racks  near 
by  and  cut  up,  the  best  parts  sent  to  the  beef-extract  house, 
the  others  to  the  corned-beef  factory  ;  the  tongues  to  still  another 
building,  where  each  one  is  split  and  canned ;  the  hair  from 
the  tails  to  still  another  building,  where  they  are  packed  id 
bales,  and  the  hides  to  vats  at  the  farther  end  of  the  shed, 
where  they  are  pickled  and  tanned. 

The  vats  were  full  of  hides  in  different  stages,  and  after 
looking  at  them  we  went  into  the  building  where  most  of  the 
beef  is  boiled  in  immense  covered  vats.  When  it  is  cooked  all 
the  broth  is  taken  and  carried  to  the  extract-house,  where  it  is 
mixed  with  the  selected  portions  of  the  animal,  like  the  tender- 
loin, which  have  been  minced  to  a  pulp  in  hash  machines.  No 
grease  is  present,  as  all  the  fat  is  cut  off  to  make  tallow.  The 
pulp  and  broth  are  boiled  in  open  tanks  with  steam  radiators  at 
the  bottom.  It  is  in  each  tank  two  hours  and  then  passes  to 
another.  After  boiling  all  day  it  is  done,  and  is  put  up  in  100- 


ALONG  SHORE   WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  173 

pound  tins  and  sent  by  ship  to  Antwerp,  where  it  is  packed  into 
the  small  jars  that  we  are  familiar  with.  They  kill  about  six 
months  in  the  year,  beginning  in  December,  and  average  1,000 
animals  a  day,  employ  300  men  all  the  year  and  700  in  the  kill- 
ing season.  The  workmen  are  mostly  Italians  and  Basque 
Spaniards.  We  visited  the  other  buildings,  the  engine-room, 
piles  of  coal,  and  wharves,  at  which  lay  several  vessels  loading ; 
but  there  was  nothing  unusual  about  them  except  their  large 
size  and  the  smells.  There  are  more  and  stronger  smells  to  the 
square  inch  in  Fray  Bentos  than  any  place  I  ever  visited. 
Cologne  is  not  a  patch  on  it ;  they  were  varied  and  all  awful. 
Even  the  pores  of  our  skins  seemed  filled,  and  I  walked  the  dock 
in  a  strong  wind  for  several  hours  after  bathing  before  I  ceased 
to  abhor  myself.  I  should  hardly  care  to  work  there  even  if 
wages  are  paid  promptly.  A  house  only  costs  from  four  dol- 
lars to  five  dollars  a  month,  and  even  a  stranger  can  buy  a 
whole  tenderloin  for  ten  cents.  The  company  was  started  with 
much  difficulty — because  no  one  would  believe  in  it  and  buy 
stock — in  1865,  has  ever  since  been  prosperous,  and  pays  good 
dividends,  besides  all  the  lives  the  extract  has  saved. 

There  are  a  good  many  colonies  near  the  river  and  some  are 
flourishing,  notably  the  German  one  at  Nueva-Berlin  and  a 
French  one  some  three  leagues  from  Colon ia,  but  the  govern- 
ments are  not  pleased  because  so  few  immigrants  become  citi- 
zens. All  their  children  born  in  the  country  are  claimed,  but 


174  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

I  met  quite  a  number  who  told  me  they  were  Orientals  or 
Argentines,  because  they  were  born  in  the  country,  but  when 
they  went  back  to  Europe  they  would  also  be  citizens  of  their 
father  country. 


XXIII. 
AFLOAT  ON  THE  PARANA. 

A  RIVER  OF  WONDERFUL  WIDTH  AND  NUMBERLESS  ISLANDS. 
—A  GREAT  COUNTRY  FOR  SHEEP — LUXURIOUS  LAMB- 
ROASTS — IMMENSE  HERDS  OF  CATTLE  AND  HOW  THEY 
ARE  LASSOED — IMPORTED  AMERICAN  STOCK. 

DOWN  the  Uruguay  we  glided  until  we  came  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Parana  River,  known  as  the  Guazu,  and  entering  it 
were  upon  the  surface  of  a  mighty  waterway,  whose  bosom 
is  so  broad  that  you  must  make  your  way  some  eleven  hundred 
miles  against  the  current,  before  both  banks  are  visible  at 
the  same  time.  Opposite  the  city  of  Rosario  it  is  forty-five 
miles  wide,  and  that  is  about  150  miles  from  the  mouth.  The 
residents  we  found  always  spoke  of  going  to  the  coast  instead 
of  to  the  river  bank,  which  would  not  have  seemed  so  odd 
if  the  vast  expanse  of  water  spread  out  unbroken  before  them, 
but  it  does  not.  The  channel  is  so  full  of  islands  that  the 
effect  is  that  of  a  network  of  narrow  water-courses  instead 


176  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

of  one  grand  sweeping  mass.  The  water  is  of  a  tawny  shade 
because  of  particles  of  sand  and  earth  that  are  carried  along 
by  it  and  form  the  islands.  A  stick  that  lodges  will  start 
an  island  and  a  wreck  off  a  port  will  form  a  bar  so  quickly 
that  the  port  is  soon  closed  unless  it  is  prevented  by  removing 
the  obstruction.  At  the  same  time  the  current  is  so  swift 
that  it  cuts  away  old  islands  with  the  greatest  rapidity  once 
chance  begins  the  work.  Pilots  are  a  necessity,  and  only 
those  who  are  always  upon  the  river  will  take  a  vessel  of 
much  draught  above  Rosario. 

The  islands  naturally  are  all  low,  and  they  are  densely 
covered  with  a  growth  of  grass  and  low  trees.  They  are  the 
home  of  the  nutria,  whose  skin  is  so  prized  by  the  makers  of 
felt  hats,  and  which  are  hunted  by  men  in  boats,  armed  with 
guns  or  spears,  and  assisted  by  dogs.  The  boats  are  rowed 
to  a  likely  island  and  the  dogs  sent  in  along  the  shore.  On 
finding  an  animal  they  engage  it  in  combat,  being  seconded 
by  their  masters,  who  arrive  as  soon  as  possible,  for  the  nutrias 
fight  stubbornly,  and  the  dogs  often  get  badly  bitten. 
Numerous  snakes  are  in  the  underbush,  and  a  small  bird  of 
greenish-yellowish  plumage  often  alighted  on  the  vessel. 
I  was  told  that  tigers — i.  e.,  leopards — were  also  to  be  found 
on  the  islands,  and  I  do  not  doubt  it,  but  none  ever  ventured 
forth  to  the  edge  as  we  were  passing.  There  are  numbers 
of  capinchos,  an  animal  that  looked  to  me  like  a  cross  between 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  177 

a  pig  and  a  beaver.  They  live  on  land,  and  spend  much 
time  in  the  water.  By  some  their  flesh  was  said  to  be  deli- 
cious to  eat,  that  it  tasted  like  pork,  while  other  authorities 
as  solemnly  assured  me  it  was  horrid  stuff,  not  even  fit  for 
the  natives.  The  reader  may  take  his  choice.  I  never  tried 
it.  I  used  to  enjoy  watching  the  camelotes,  or  floating  islands 
of  weeds,  sometimes  of  great  extent,  moving  along  with  the 
current,  making  their  way  down  toward  the  ocean,  the  vege- 
tation growing  and  weeds  blossoming  quite  undisturbed  by 
the  journey. 

The  river  drains  such  an  amount  of  territory  that  it  is  often 
high  and  often  low,  and  vessels  ashore  are  a  very  common 
sight.  Let  a  sailing  ship  anchor  to  wait  for  a  fair  wind,  and 
she  may  or  may  not  be  afloat  when  the  wind  comes  ;  and  once 
aground,  a  bank  will  form  around  her  so  rapidly  that  her  bones 
may  lie  there  until  they  become  exposed  and  bleach. 

Just  below  the  mouth  stretch  the  flats  of  Martin  GarciaT 
where  wrecks  and  vessels  ashore  were  always  to  be  seen,  and 
the  last  time  I  passed  over  there  were  twenty-five  vessels 
beached,  some  of  them  large  steamers,  making  quite  a  fleet 
in  distress.  The  channel  is  buoyed,  but  the  channel  shifts, 
the  buoys  shift,  and  there  you  are. 

Before  we  came  to  any  town  our  anchor  generally  dropped 
just  in  front  of  the  estancia  "  El  Ombu,"  where  we  were  sure 

of  a  warm  welcome  from,  and  some  charming  days  with,  Mr. 

12 


178  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAB. 

and  Mrs.  Kenyon,  English  people.  The  bank  was  bluff,  and 
from  the  top  edge  the  ground  extends  back  in  an  unbroken 
plain  to  the  horizon.  Sheep  are  raised,  and  there  were 
always  large  flocks  of  them  feeding  on  the  green  grass  and 
clover,  each  herd  guarded  by  a  man  on  horseback,  while 
all  about  were  numbers  of  horned  plover,  hawks,  turkey- 
buzzards,  and  little  gray  owls  that  lived  in  burrows  iii  the 
ground.  There  was  an  old  house  near  the  coast,  which  was 
kept  in  excellent  repair,  and  had  nice  orange  trees  in  front, 
but  the  mosquitoes  were  so  bad  that  they  were  forced  to 
build  again,  and  moved  about  a  mile  and  a  half  inland, 
quite  near  to  the  railroad  station  of  El  Paraiso,  which  is 
on  the  main  line  between  Buenos  Ayres  and  Rosario.  Sev- 
eral large  ombu,  a  row  of  eucalyptus,  and  an  orchard  of 
peach  trees  marked  the  house,  which  was,  as  usual,  of  one 
story,  and  covered  a  good  deal  of  ground,  besides  the  nu- 
merous outbuildings,  which  were  all  detached.  Here  we  were 
treated  to  all  the  national  dishes,  were  taken  driving  over 
the  plain,  went  for  duck  and  bird  shooting,  and  had  asados, 
Avhen  a  lamb  would  be  skinned,  cleaned,  and  then  roasted 
whole  011  a  long  iron  rod — asador — one  end  of  which  was  driven 
into  the  earth  before  an  open  fire.  It  was  delicious  food, 
and  made  gluttons  of  us  all. 

There  were   between  43,000  and  45,000  sheep  that   grazed 
over   three   square   leagues   of   land,    valued    at    8240,000    a 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  179 

square  league.  Clover  was  plenty,  but  the  land  was  divided 
into  sections  by  wire  fences,  and  each  field  given  a  rest. 
Their  thirst  is  slaked  by  water  pumped  into  troughs  in 
the  different  fields  by  the  herdsmen,  gauchos,  peons,  or  what- 
ever you  choose  to  call  them.  The  adjoining  estancia  was 
owned  by  a  Senor  Martinez  de  Hoz,  of  Buenos  Ayres,  and 
here,  as  at  many  other  estancias  in  the  country,  we  were 
sure  of  a  cordial  greeting.  Once  I  remarked  that  I  had 
never  seen  an  animal  lassoed,  and  as  a  consequence  we 
were  invited,  about  a  baker's  dozen  of  us,  to  breakfast, 
and  quite  early  in  the  morning  were  taken  to  see  a  herd 
rounded  up  and  some  cattle  selected  out  of  it  by  a  pur- 
chaser from  Buenos  Ayres.  When  we  reached  the  spot  we 
found  a  large  bunch  of  cattle  surrounded  by  cow-boys,  who 
were  riding  swiftly  in  an  outer  circle.  Senor  Martinez  de 
Hoz  and  the  buyer  were  near,  and  when  an  animal  was 
selected  by  the  buyer  he  would  point  it  out,  one  or  two 
cow-boys  would  dash  in  and  bring  the  desired  creature  out 
of  the  confused  mass,  and,  once  it  was  out,  the  point  was 
to  keep  it  from  returning,  so  a  man  would  ride  around  it 
in  circles  until  it  was  a  good  distance  away  and  joined 
to  those  already  selected.  When  this  was  finished  Senor  de 
Hoz  told  two  of  the  men  to  take  their  lassos  and  catch 
me  an  animal.  I  had  seen  pictures  of  mad  steers  chased 
by  picturesquely  dressed  gauchos,  careering  like  mad  over 


180  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

a  plain ;  had  read  of  the  wonderful  feats  of  catching  an 
animal  here  or  there  on  any  projecting  angle,  until  it 
seemed  to  me  as  if  it  must  be  a  spectacle  to  make  the 
heart  beat  high  and  the  breath  come  short,  and  now  I  was 
to  see  this  wonderful  thing.  Here  was  everything  as  I 
had  pictured  it  in  my  mind ;  but  alas  for  my  anticipations ! 
instead  of  a  mad,  galloping  chase  over  the  prairie,  what  I 
actually  saw  was  two  men  ride  up  to  the  herd  and  stop 
at  the  edge  of  the  dense  mass.  For  a  moment  they  were 
motionless,  then  one  leaned  over  in  his  stirrups  and  dropped 
the  loop  of  his  lasso  over  the  horns  of  a  bullock  and  towed 
him  out.  The  beast  fussed,  kicked,  and  resisted,  but  out 
he  came.  Then  I  was  asked  where  else  he  should  be  caught, 
and  as  he  had  his  head  well  down  and  in  the  way,  I 
said  a  front  foot.  Well,  they  worked  a  long  while  and 
finally  got  it  there,  but  I  think  he  walked  into  one  of  the 
numerous  loops  on  the  ground,  as  several  other  cow-boys 
had  joined  in  the  affair.  I  suppose  it  was  very  dangerous, 
for  the  cattle  are  wild,  and  I  was  not  allowed  to  go  far 
from  the  carriage,  while  the  gentlemen  kept  close  by  their 
horses,  as  we  all  must  be  ready  to  mount  and  fly  if  the 
herd  made  a  rush  our  way.  But  no  picture  of  lassoing  will 
ever  please  me  again ;  the  rush  and  dash  and  excitement  all 
vanished  before  the  tame  reality.  A  cow  was  killed,  because 
it  had  a  tumor  on  its  jaw,  and  we  saw  it  skinned,  the  men 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  181 

using   the   knives    that   they   wear    in   their   belts,   the   same 
that  they  use  for  eating  and  for  killing   their  enemies. 

We  had  a  delightful  breakfast,  and  then  went  through  the 
stables  to  see  the  stock,  which  has  been  imported  to  improve 
the  herds.  Among  the  horses  was  a  big  black  stallion,  son  of 
the  American  horse  Foxhall.  There  were  merino  sheep  from 
Vermont,  some  English  horses,  and  a  bull.  In  front  of  the 
house  was  a  large  aviary,  filled  with  native  wild  birds  caught 
in  the  fields,  and,  just  beyond,  a  charming  garden,  where  we 
picked  Parma  violets,  pansies,  phlox,  hyacinths,  carnations,  and 
mignonette,  and  where  the  gardeners  wage  eternal  warfare 
against  swarms  of  ants.  There  are  about  two  square  leagues 
in  this  estancia,  and,  as  elsewhere,  the  herds  are  watched  by 
gauchos,  who  live  in  little  mud  huts  placed  at  convenient  dis- 
tances about  the  fields  and  called  puestos.  A  great  deal  of 
maize  is  raised  about  here,  chiefly  for  use  on  the  estancias. 


XXIV. 

UP  THE  GREAT  RIVER  TO  THE  MODERN  CITY  OF 

ROSARIO. 

ELECTRIC  LIGHTS  AND  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS — THE  IRISH  AS  WOOL- 
GROWERS — NEW  DOCKS  AT  ROSARIO — SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PRE- 
VENTION OF  CRUELTY  TO  ANIMALS. 

THE  little  town  of  San  Pedro,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Pa- 
rana, was  the  next  point  of  interest  as  we  went  on  our  winding 
way  up  stream.  Standing  on  the  top  of  the  low  bluff,  its 
white  houses  and  church  gleaming  in  the  sunshine,  it  always 
looked  bright  and  neat,  but  bare,  almost  indecently  so  to  one 
accustomed  to  trees  and  foliage,  that  soften  while  beautifying 
the  angular  lines  of  the  architect  and  mason.  Instead  of  being 
dedicated  to  St.  Paul,  which  would  seem  a  natural  sequence, 
the  next  river  hamlet  boasts  the  good  St.  Nicholas  as  its  sponsor 
and  patron,  and  has  thriven  until  it  is  the  third  city  in  the 
province  of  Buenos  Ayres.  There  are  a  good  many  buildings 
scattered  here  and  there  along  the  edge  of  the  bluff  between  the 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  183 

towns,  and  from  most  of  them  a  chute  runs  down  to  the  water, 
by  which  sign  we  know  that  they  are  store-houses  for  the 
reception  of  hides  and  wool,  mostly  the  latter.  Sometimes  they 
are  full  to  overflowing,  for  wool-raising  is  one  of  the  chief 
occupations  in  the  Argentine  Republic,  and  ocean  steamers  can 
lie  alongside  these  bluffs  and  load,  taking  the  raw  material 
thence  direct  to  the  looms  of  Europe.  I  was  told  that  the  Irish 
were  the  fathers  of  the  sheep  industry,  and  that  many  had 
made  large  fortunes  in  it.  There  certainly  are  numbers  of  that 
nation  resident  in  the  country,  and  some  of  the  Irish  Portenas 
whom  we  met  were  charming  girls,  with  a  delightful  Irish 
brogue,  although  born  and  brought  up  in  the  Argentine,  all  of 
which  has  nothing  to  do  with  our  sheep,  so  revenons  a  nos 
moutons,  which  in  this  case  is  the  town  of  San  Nicolas. 

An  island  has  formed  in  front  of  the  town,  so  the  anchorage 
is  some  distance  below,  and  it  was  quite  a  pull  against  a  strong 
current  up  to  the  wharf,  which  we  reached  only  to  find  that  it 
was  built  to  fit  the  river  during  a.  freshet,  and  there  were  no 
steps  to  make  it  fit  low  water,  and  so  we  passed  it  by  and  got 
ashore  by  climbing  over  the  side  and  across  the  deck  of  a  small 
trading  sloop.  There  were  a  few  buildings  at  the  base  of  the 
bluff,  and  here  we  found  the  captain  of  the  port,  a  charming 
gentleman,  who  took  us  into  his  inner  sanctum  and  gave  us  a 
great  many  compliments  and  much  information.  Mate*  was 
served  to  us,  and  as  it  is  always  boiling  hot  I  tried  to  swallow 


184  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

quickly,  for  one  needs  a  tongue  in  condition  to  wag  when 
ashore  abroad,  but  it  was  no  use ;  it  seemed  as  if  a  blister  rose 
all  the  way  down  the  tongue  and  throat  in  the  wake  of  the  fiery 
liquid,  and  the  only  vent  to  be  found  for  my  feelings  was  to 
disregard  all  signals  to  depart  until  each  member  of  the  party 
had  swallowed  their  dose.  There  are  about  15,000  inhabitants, 
all  either  well  to  do  or  rich,  as  they  import  very  little  and 
export  a  great  quantity  of  wool,  maize,  and  hides.  There  is  a 
railroad  station  just  behind  the  city  where  they  can  take  the 
cars  to  Buenos  Ayres  to  the  southward,  or  Rosario  to  the  north, 
and  besides  tapping  the  main  line  there  is  a  short  branch  which 
goes  to  an  inland  town  and  brings  much  produce  to  the  river. 

A  steep  paved  way  guided  us  up  to  the  main  city,  and  here 
we  found  the  streets  of  good  width,  laid  out  at  right  angles,  well 
paved  and  lighted  by  electric  lights ;  street-cars  were  running 
on  the  principal  thoroughfares,  the  people  looked  healthy  and 
happy,  numbers  of  children  were  coming  out  of  the  public 
school  buildings,  and  altogether  everything  except  the  low 
adobe  houses  looked  American  and  nineteenth-century.  The 
plaza  was  well  shaded  by  trees  and  pretty,  if  one  could  forget 
the  stucco  monumental  shaft  in  the  center,  which  was  painted 
blue  and  white,  with  an  electric  light  on  top.  The  church  was 
closed,  but  the  neat  little  inn  alongside  was  not,  and  the  beer — 
made  in  the  country — deliciously  cold.  The  market  was 
empty  except  some  meat,  and  we  stopped  at  a  corner  to  see  the 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAH.  185 

stage  start  for  Mananzalita,  thirteen  leagues  inland ;  the  vehicle 
was  a  small  antiquated  affair  painted  yellow  and  drawn  by  six 
white  horses,  harnessed  four  abreast  and  two  leaders.  They 
were  untamed  creatures  and  gave  any  amount  of  trouble  before 
they  finally  consented  to  all  start  at  the  same  time,  the  driver 
meanwhile  flourishing  his  whip  and  giving  us  a  chance  to 
acquire  some  very  choice  expressions  in  hybrid  Spanish. 

Rosario  is  the  second  city  in  the  republic,  and  is  not  only  a 
city  of  the  present,  but  also  of  the  future.  It  is  well  situated  at 
a  point  which  can  be  reached  by  large  ocean  vessels,  while  above 
the  city  the  river  is  so  uncertain  as  to  its  depth,  even  in  the 
main  channel,  that  large  vessels  dare  not  venture  ;  hence  about 
all  produce  brought  down  for  abroad  is  landed  and  reshipped. 
It  is  also  quite  a  railroad  center,  will  become  still  more  so  in 
time,  and  is  a  great  point  for  shipping  goods  into  the  interior  by 
wagon.  Large  docks  are  being  built,  slowly,  to  be  sure,  but 
surely,  and  the  wood — nandubay — used  is  so  hard  that  it  takes 
a  long  while  to  shape  it.  It  is  red  and  rings  almost  like  metal 
when  struck.  It  is  brought  down  from  the  forests  of  the  Grand 
Chaco. 

From  the  river  the  city  is  lovely  with  its  wharves,  large 
yellow  custom-house,  and  lines  of  streets  that  gradually  ascend 
the  bluff,  while  above  an  irregular  sky-line  of  houses  and  trees, 
broken  by  the  two  towers  of  the  cathedral,  is  all  fascinating, 
and  from  its  extent  we  hoped  for  much  pleasure,  only  to  be 


186  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

proportionately  disappointed,  as  it  proved  to  be  dull  and  unin- 
teresting in  the  extreme.  The  shops  are  long  lines  of  store- 
houses, mere  depots,  filled  with  large  boxes  and  some  samples, 
the  streets  almost  deserted,  stretching  long  distances  of  uniform 
houses.  The  pavements  were  bad,  and  the  poor  horses  that 
dragged  the  heavy  loads  up  the  bluffs  and  along  the  rough 
streets  cannot  live  very  long,  they  are  so  beaten  and  maltreated. 
Across  a  broad  street,  from  the  head  of  the  wharf,  stands  the 
big  two-storied  custom-house,  and  beside  it  is  a  peculiarly  steep 
street  leading  to  the  upper  city. 

It  was  always  very  painful  for  me  to  walk  up  or  down  that 
street,  for  it  was  filled  from  early  dawn  until  late  at  night  with 
a  struggling,  slipping  crowd  of  over-burdened  horses  and  oxen. 
The  desperate  struggle  to  plant  their  ill  shod  feet  firmly,  the 
jump  under  the  sting  of  the  lash,  whose  whistle  filled  the  air  at 
all  times,  the  bend  of  the  slender  legs  strained  almost  to  break- 
ing, all  make  a  horrible  sight ;  and  steep  as  the  street  was  we 
always  made  a  rush  to  get  up  it  and  away.  The  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  was  introduced  into  the  coun- 
try by  the  late  ex-President  Domingo  F.  Sarmiento,  and  it  is 
taking  root  even  in  Rosario,  but  progresses  slowly  and  seems 
to  have  begun  with  chickens — to  prevent  their  being  carried 
about  by  the  legs — instead  of  horses. 

Horses  are  fastened  to  the  cart  in  a  peculiar  manner — first, 
the  horse  has  a  leather  saddle  put  on  him,  which  is  very  simple 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  187 

iii  make.  They  take  a  framework  made  of  a  straight  piece  of 
wood  with  two  short  pieces  nailed  at  right  angles  on  each  end  ; 
to  the  underside  are  fastened  two  long,  round  cushions,  filled 
with  hair ;  these  rest  on  the  horse's  back,  one  each  side  of  the 
back-bone,  and  over  the  framework  is  nailed  a  piece  of  leather, 
while  under  and  over  are  laid  as  many  saddle-cloths  as  the 
owner  chooses,  the  whole  held  in  place  by  a  very  broad  girth. 
A  rawhide  thong  passes  through  a  hole  in  the  end  of  the 
pole  of  the  cart,  and  this  throng  is  tied  to  a  ring  in  one  side 
of  the  saddle.  A  primitive  bridle  and  reins  are  added,  and 
the  cart  is  ready  to  start  unless  more  than  one  horse  is  needed. 
If  so,  one  end  of  a  long  rope  is  fastened  to  the  saddle  of  another 
horse,  and  the  other  end  to  some  part  of  the  cart,  generally  the 
front  edge.  Sometimes  there  will  be  two  or  even  three  of  these 
loose  horses  attached.  The  horse  connected  with  the  pole 
does  the  steering,  and  he  is  free  to  go  in  any  direction,  acting  as  he 
does  on  a  pivot — the  end  of  the  pole.  The  driver  rides  this  horse. 
The  plaza  is  a  large,  bare  square,  with  a  few  trees  and  benches 
around  the  sides,  two  broken  fountains,  and  in  the  center  a 
monument,  which  consists  of  a  tall,  fluted  column,  with  a 
statue  of  Liberty  on  top,  holding  the  Argentine  flag,  while  at 
each  of  the  four  corners  of  the  pedestal  is  a  life-sized  statue  of 
an  Argentine  patriot,  with  an  inscription  beneath.  These  in- 
scriptions cannot  be  very  encouraging  to  patriotic  youths,  as 
they  state  that  Gen.  San  Martin  died  far  from  his  country. 


188  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

Gen.  Belgrano  died  in  misery,  Rivaclavia  died  expatriated,  and 
Moreno  died  in  mid-ocean — on  a  ship,  I  suppose.  The  cathe- 
dral was  being  built  around  a  smaller  one,  so,  while  the  outside 
was  finished,  we  never  penetrated  into  the  interior,  because  of 
the  piles  of  bricks,  mortar,  and  dust  that  met  us  at  the  door. 

Of  all  the  crowds  of  Italian  emigrants  flocking  to  the  Argen- 
tine shores,  the  province  of  Santa  Fe,  of  which  Rosario  de 
Santa  Fe,  usually  called  Rosario,  is  the  capital,  seems  to  have 
attracted  the  Piedmontese,  and  these  hardy,  industrious  people 
are  going  in  for  agriculture  and  fruit  gardens,  sending  their 
children  to  the  public  schools,  improving  the  province  in  every 
way,  and  benefiting  the  city  by  giving  it  a  flourishing  back 
country.  The  government  is  kind  to  settlers,  and  these  Italians, 
who  are  used  to  the  hard,  bitter  lot  of  the  European  peasant, 
get  on  very  well.  They  are  strong,  quick-tempered,  as  ready 
with  the  knife  and  firearm  as  the  natives  are,  and  do  not  growl 
when  arrested  and  detained  in  jail  months  or  years  on  sus- 
picion, for  the  right  of  habeas  corpus  is  a  dead  letter,  and  tales 
of  flogging  and  ill-treatment  in  the  jails  that  I  knew  of,  I  would 
rather  not  dwell  upon.  But  what  can  one  expect  when  police 
and  the  file  of  the  army  are  recruited  from  convicts.  A  police- 
man in  the  Argentine  never  seemed  to  me  to  embody  peace,  law, 
and  order,  having  broken  all  three.  The  Argentines  have  a 
splendid  country,  and  they  are  making  rapid  strides,  but  like 
every  one  else,  they  are  far  from  perfection. 


XXV. 

A  TRIP  TO  CORDOBA. 

A  LAND  VOYAGE  OF  DISCOVERY — THE  WAKING  CITY  OF  THE 
PAMPAS — RELICS  OF  THE  CONQUISTADORES — THE  CATHE- 
DRAL AND  THE  JESUITS'  CHURCH — THE  NUNS  OF  ST. 
DOMINIC — STREET  LIFE — MODERN  IMPROVEMENTS. 

ON  the  western  edge  of  the  vast  Argentine  pampas,  deep  set 
in  the  dry  brown  bowl  where  once  glistened  and  rippled  the 
waters  of  a  lake,  lies  the  quaint  old  city  of  Cordoba.  Many 
years  it  lias  lain  there,  "  the  world  forgetting,  by  the  world 
forgot,"  its  days  of  ancient  glory  having  come  and  reached  their 
zenith  before  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  on  our  shores.  Some  of 
the  old  conquistadores,  headed  by  Geronimo  de  Cabrera,  march- 
ing with  the  sword  in  one  hand  and  the  cross  in  the  other,  as 
was  their  custom,  came  over  the  mountains  from  Peru  and 
down  through  Bolivia,  reaching  in  1573  this  bowl-like  site. 
Seeing  the  pretty  river  rushing  through  it  and  the  low  range  of 
foot-hills  standing  protectingly  near,  they  pitched  their  tents, 


190  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

and  soon  the  solid  city  rose,  churches  keeping  pace  with  the 
houses,  the  Jesuits  even  building  a  university  and  setting  up  a 
printing-press,  from  which  came  ponderous  old  tomes  in  Latin, 
Spanish,  Quichua,  and  Guarani,  the  last  two  native  Indian 
languages,  the  books  being  used  by  the  missionaries  to  spread 
the  gospel  and  teach  the  natives  Spanish,  and  also  containing 
histories  of  the  tribes  and  country.  Would  they  were  there 
now !  but  the  remorseless  enemies  of  the  Jesuits,  who  caused 
them  to  be  expelled  from  all  the  Spanish  colonies,  showed  what 
ignorance  and  vandalism  their  cloaks  and  cowls  covered  when 
they  burnt  and  destroyed  the  unique  and  invaluable  library 
that  had  cost  their  predecessors  so  much  blood  and  labor  to 
accumulate  and  arrange. 

Now  the  iron  ribbon  connects  Cordoba  with  Rosario,  and 
thus  with  the  outer  world,  and  she  is  rubbing  her  eyes  and 
beginning  to  wake  from  her  long  nap  ;  but  there  is  still  a 
delicious  old  sixteenth-century  flavor  about  her.  Her  streets 
are  narrow,  and  only  the  brilliant  sunlight  keeps  them  from 
being  gloomy  ;  churches,  convents,  and  religious  property, 
marked  with  some  holy  sign  above  the  doors,  abound.  The 
Cathedral  is  magnificent ;  standing  at  one  corner  of  the  lovely 
old  tree-shaded  plaza,  it  is  approached  by  broad  steps  and  an  outer 
court ;  the  two  tall  towers,  with  their  clusters  of  bells,  are  of 
adobe,  worked  and  moulded  into  graceful  shape  with  many 
ornaments ;  part  of  the  roof  oi  the  main  aisle  shows  between 


- 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  191 

them,  while,  behind  all,  the  grand  dome,  looking  like  an  imperial 
crown,  rises  to  complete  a  lovely  picture.  The  walls  are 
smooth,  but  one  can  see  in  the  outer  ones  where  heavy  uncut 
stones  are  set  in,  in  courses,  to  give  greater  strength.  The  outer 
court  is  paved,  and  so  is  the  portico,  with  old  stones  that  show 
the  tread  of  many  feet ;  but,  once  the  quaint  old  wooden  doors  are 
passed,  you  meet  the  present  age  in  a  fine  new-tiled  floor ;  it  is 
beautiful  and  serviceable,  but  looks  too  new — as  out  of  keeping 
as  the  new  coarse  frescoes  that  by  their  brilliant  colors  call  your 
eyes  away  from  the  graceful  curve  of  the  arched  roof  of  the  aisles. 
A  short  walk  through  the  narrow  'streets,  and  we  entered 
the  court  before  the  oldest  church  of  all,  that  of  the  Jesuits. 
Its  walls  are  dark  and  stained  by  wind  and  weather,  but  the 
adobe  fairly  shines  in  spots,  it  has  worn  so  smooth.  Two 
sad,  drooping  trees — Quebracho  blancho — grow  in  the  court, 
and  a  soft  twilight  pervades  the  interior,  as  if  the  church 
were  in  mourning  for  those  who  founded  and  built  only  to 
be  ruthlessly  driven  out.  The  ceiling  is  superb;  it  is  made 
of  cedar  that  was  brought  from  the  distant  mountains,  on  the 
backs  of  Indian  converts,  some  two  hundred  and  seventy 
years  ago,  then  fashioned  by  their  dexterous  fingers  and 
fitted  in  place  without  nail  or  screw.  The  church  is  in 
the  shape  of  a  Latin  cross,  the  ceiling  a  Gothic  arch,  lined 
first  with  smooth,  flat  boards  of  the  cedar,  the  surface  then 
divided  into  spaces,  richly  ornamented  by  arabesques  in  gold 


J92  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

and  color ;  every  few  feet  a  broad,  heavy  moulding  comes 
down  from  the  apex,  and  following  the  curve  ends  at  the 
base  of  the  arch,  where  the  wall  begins;  these  divide  the 
lines  of  arabesques  and  are  ornamented  sparingly  with  gold 
and  color.  The  dome  is  large  and  panelled  with  cedar, 
the  four  lower  corners  being  ornamented  with  good  old 
paintings  of  the  four  Evangelists.  Below  the  roof,  run- 
ning clear  around  the  church,  is  a  frieze  of  alternate  por- 
traits and  coats-of-arms,  but  these  had  been  painted  on 
canvas  and  were  in  a  terrible  state  of  disrepair ;  those  that 
one  could  make  out  seemed  stern  old  Spaniards,  clad  in 
steel  armor,  but  no  one  could  tell  me  who  they  were. 
The  old  confessionals  are  fitted  into  niches  in  the  ponder- 
ous walls,  and  the  Jesuits,  who  have  crept  back  one  by 
one,  although  exiled  by  an  uiirepealed  law  issued  the  last 
time  by  Juan  Manuel  Rosas,  President  and  Dictator  of 
Buenos  Ayres,  are  brushing  up  their  old  quarters,  gilding 
heavily  the  crown-like  sounding-board  that  hangs  above 
the  preacher's  desk,  and  trying  to  spoil  the  general  effect 
by  filling  the  floor  space  with  wooden  benches.  The  gold 
used  on  the  ceiling  was  brought  from  Peru,  and  that  same 
favored  country  furnished  the  paints  that  were  used  with 
such  charming  effect.  A  small  side-door  leads  into  a  nar- 
row street,  and  if  one  looks,  back  after  leaving  it,  one  sees, 
over  the  portal  in  quaint  old  letters — 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  193 

Cam   de  Dios, 
Puerto    del    Cielo. 

Which  is  in  English — 

The  House  of   God, 
The  Gate  of   Heaven. 

There  is  another  door,  which  now  is  always  barred  and 
bolted,  but  once  it  led  into  their  sunny  old  cloisters  and 
garden,  where  the  sun  still  shines,  the  fountain  plashes  and 
gurgles,  the  orange  trees  grow  and  are  loaded  with  their 
golden  fruit,  while  below  them  bloom  and  fade  many  lovely 
roses ;  thence  a  stairway  leads  to  the  old  library,  where 
some  of  their  books  stand  on  the  shelves,  having  been  rescued 
and  returned.  Beneath  it  is  the  old  hall,  at  one  end  of 
which  still  hangs  a  Holy  Family ;  and  facing  this,  a  full- 
length  oil  portrait  of  Bishop  Trejo  in  canonicals.  He  was 
a  native  of  Paraguay,  and  in  1613  founded  the  university, 
giving  all  his  fortune  of  $40,000  for  the  purpose.  The 
cloisters,  gardens,  and  vaulted  recitation-rooms  still  echo  to 
the  voices  of  youths  being  fitted  for  the  battle  of  life  ; 
but  instead  of  low-voiced  monks  in  flowing  robes,  they  are 
guided  and  taught  by  German  professors,  imported  by  the 
general  Government,  and  paid  by  the  same  power,  so  that 
instruction  is  received  at  merely  a  nominal  cost.  A  very 

pleasant    set   of   learned    gentlemen    are   the   professors,  and 

13 


194  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

they  have  had  built  a  large,  fine  building,  which  adjoins 
the  old  one  and  has  a  beautiful  front  on  Calle  Ancha, 
the  one  broad  street  in  the  old  city.  One  of  •  the  large 
new  rooms  has  a  fine  collection  of  birds,  among  which  are 
the  only  pair  of  bright-green  eagles  that  I  ever  saw,  and 
wonderful  humming-birds,  one  of  them  having  a  semicircle 
of  feathers,  somewhat  like  those  in  a  peacock's  tail,  stand- 
ing out  from  each  side  of  his  little  body.  There  were  all 
the  game  birds  of  the  country,  some  of  them  resembling 
ours  as  California  fruit  resembles  that  of  the  Eastern  States 
— larger,  of  the  same  outward  appearance,  and  much  less 
flavor.  The  professor  of  botany  has  also  a  most  wonder- 
ful collection  of  the  flora  of  the  countiy,  which  he  has 
wandered  many  hundred  weary  miles  to  collect. 

Near  at  hand  is  the  church  of  Santa  Catalina,  with  a  famous 
nunnery  attached,  and,  making  an  excuse  of  the  fact  that  we 
wanted  to  get  some  bamboo  and  horsehair  bombittas,  that  the 
nuns  make,  we  looked  for  some  time  for  an  entrance  to  the 
convent,  and  not  finding  it  we  went  into  the  church,  which  is 
very  large,  like  all  the  churches  in  the  city,  lofty,  and  decorated 
in  good  taste.  It  is  profusely  illustrated,  if  I  may  use  the  ex- 
pression, with  scenes  from  the  life  of  the  patron  saint,  and  she 
seems  to  have  had  a  most  uncomfortable  time.  There  was  a 
gallery  over  the  door  with  gratings  and  cloth  screen  ;  this  is 
what  the  nuns  occupy  when  they  sing  the  services,  but  there 


ALONG  SHORE   WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  195 

was  no  entrance  to  it  from  the  church,  and  we  could  not  find 
any  one  in  the  body  of  the  church,  behind  the  high  altar,  nor 
in  the  small  room  to  the  right.  There  was  a  revolving  cupboard 
in  the  wall  there,  but  repeated  knockings  brought  no  one.  At 
last  in  an  alcove,  in  a  small  room  on  the  left  of  the  high  altar, 
his  cloak  wrapped  around  him,  sound  asleep,  we  found  a  priest ; 
we  waked  him,  and  told  him  in  our  choicest  Castilian  what 
we  wanted,  and  he  not  only  told  us  the  way  to  the  inner  court, 
behind  some  houses,  but  followed,  and  helped  us  to  interview 
the  sister  who  answered  my  knock  on  the  turn-table.  I  never 
saw  an  article  of  wood  so  tightly  fitted  and  yet  which  turned 
with  such  ease  as  this  cupboard-like  affair.  I  could  hear  a  pleas- 
ant voice  and  musical  laugh,  but  not  a  glimpse  could  I  catch  of 
the  nun,  who  promised  that  if  we  would  return  in  the  afternoon 
she  would  see  what  she  could  do.  When  we  returned,  I  told 
her  I  was  the  foreigner  who  wanted  the  bonibillas,  and  she  put 
a  bunch  of  keys  in  the  cupboard  for  me  to  give  the  portress, 
while  she  went  to  speak  to  the  Lady  Superior.  A  quiet-looking 
woman,  shrouded  in  a  manta,  whom  I  had  noticed  sitting  in 
the  court,  came  forward,  and  taking  the  keys,  led  us  to  a  small 
door  in  the  corner  next  the  church,  and,  unlocking  it,  let  us 
into  a  long,  narrow  room,  perfectly  dark,  except  for  the  light 
that  came  through  the  door.  At  one  end  hung  an  old  picture 
of  the  Madonna  and  Child,  dressed  in  stiff  gold  brocade,  and 
opposite  a  portrait  of  St.  Dominic,  clad  in  the  same  stiff  drape- 


190  ALONG  SUOliE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

ries  that  were  such  favorites  with  some  of  the  earliest  of  the  old 
masters  ;  otherwise  they  were  lovely.  Along  the  wall  between 
them  was  a  row  of  chairs,  and  when  we  sat  down  we  faced 
an  iron  grating  that  occupied  the  entire  length  of  the  room, 
and  was  fastened  into  the  floor  and  the  ceiling.  It  was  made 
of  flat  bands,  riveted  quite  close  together,  and  about  five  feet 
inside  of  this  was  a  similar  one,  inside  of  that  a  thick  cloth  veil. 
Soon  wTe  heard  the  turning  of  a  lock  somewhere,  and  then  two 
female  voices  spoke.  I  had  quite  a  long  conversation  with 
them,  and  found  they  knew  all  about  themselves  and  their  order, 
but  nothing  else.  They  are  a  branch  of  the  order  of  St. 
Dominic,  and  this  house  was  founded  by  one  of  the  conquista- 
dores  in  1613  ;  there  are  only  rooms  for  forty  nuns,  and  as  soon 
as  one  dies  another  stands  ready  to  enter,  yet  they  draw  only 
from  the  best  families,  and  are  strictly  cloistered,  living,  dying, 
and  being  buried  within  the  walls.  They  said  they  were  happy, 
but  their  voices  had  a  hollow  sound,  as  if  they  came  from  the 
tomb,  and  I  involuntarily  pressed  close  against  the  outer  railing 
as  if  to  get  nearer  the  unfortunates,  for  whom  my  heart  was 
filled  with  pity  when  I  thought  of  all  they  had  renounced,  and 
what  their  lives  must  be. 

La  Marced  is  another  large  church,  and  has  a  monastery  at- 
tached. The  monks  wear  a  white  habit,  and  looked  very  pictur- 
esque as  we  saw  them,  through  a  half-open  door,  pacing  to  and 
fro  beneath  the  trees  in  the  sunny  garden.  The  church  was 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  197 

being  repaired,  and  only  one  altar  was  in  order;  before  that 
about  a  dozen  young  brothers  were  chanting  a  service,  keeping 
their  ej^es  on  us  instead  of  their  books ;  but  they  knew  it  all  so 
well  that  they  made  no  mistake.  There  was  a  horrible  looking 
statue  of  a  saint  over  one  altar ;  he  had  been  split  open  and 
cleaned  out,  but  to  judge  by  facial  expression,  was  still  alive. 
San  Francisco  Church  was  entirely  closed  for  repairs,  and  the 
only  other  big  church  we  entered  was  Saint  Dominic's,  which 
has  a  repoussg  silver  front  to  the  high  altar  and  a  fine  old  pul- 
pit ;  it  also  has  a  Gothic  wooden  altar,  prettily  carved,  under- 
neath which  is  a  passage  into  the  monastery.  The  orphanage 
opposite  the  Jesuit  church  is  in  charge  of  some  sisters,  who 
have  a  large  number  of  little  unfortunates  under  their  care. 

We  visited  two  of  the  markets,  but  found  very  little  of  native 
manufacture  in  them ;  some  rough  pottery,  coarse  blankets, 
gayly-colored  saddlebags  of  wool,  and  some  coffee-colored  lace, 
was  about  all.  The  lace  was  soft  and  prett}r,  with  an  im- 
mense amount  of  labor  on  it,  and  not  very  fine  after  all.  In 
the  streets  only  the  richest  women  wear  bonnets  or  hats,  the  rest 
use  the  black  cashmere  manta  that  is  so  common  in  Peru  and 
Chili.  It  is  a  piece  of  cloth  about  nine  feet  long,  and  four  to 
six  in  width,  wound  around  the  head  and  shoulders,  enveloping 
the  person  as  far  down  as  the  waist ;  a  perfectly  plain  skirt  is 
generally  worn  with  it.  Many  of  the  men  wear  the  old  gaucJw 
dress  except  the  boots,  which  were  formerly  made  by  peeling 


198  ALONGSHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

the  hides  off  an  animal's  legs,  pulling  them  while  still  warm  and 
soft  over  their  own  feet  and  legs,  and  leaving  them  to  dry  on 
and  shrink  into  shape.  Now  they  wear  rough  leather  boots  or 
low  shoes,  the  latter  made  of  canvas  and  rope,  like  those  sold 
for  bathing  with  us.  The  legs  are  covered  with  white  cotton- 
cloth  drawers  that  come  down  to  the  ankles,  and  are  often  em- 
broidered, fringed,  or  otherwise  ornamented  nearly  up  to  the 
knee  ;  the  poor  simply  wind  a  piece  of  cloth  round  their  legs. 
These  drawers  are  called  calconcillas.  As  they  would  not  be 
warm  enough  by  themselves,  a  square  of  woolen  cloth,  varying 
from  the  coarsest  woven  sheep's  wool  up  to  very  fine  vicuna, 
according  to  the  purse  of  the  wearer,  is  taken  ;  one  straight 
side  is  fastened  around  the  waist  by  a  wide  leather  belt  orna- 
mented with  big  silver  buttons  ;  the  short  ends  that  are  left 
hang  down  in  front ;  the  center  of  the  straight  side  opposite  that 
which  is  wrapped  around  the  waist  is  brought  up  between  the 
legs  in  front  and  tucked  firmly  under  the  belt ;  the  two  corners 
are  left  hanging  loose.  This  garment  is  called  the  chiripa,  and 
always  looks  as  if  it  were  going  to  drop  off,  but  it  does  not ;  the 
square  is  large  in  order  to  give  plenty  of  room  when  riding, 
and  as  a  consequence,  the  bunch  which  does  duty  for  the  seat 
falls  nearly  to  the  wearer's  ankles  behind.  A  woolen  shirt 
covering  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  and  hanging  over  one 
shoulder  for  convenience  in  carrying,  or  else  regularly  put  on, 
is  the  poncho  that  all  classes  use  more  or  less.  This  is  often 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  199 

very  fine  and  finished  with,  a  deep  knotted  fringe ;  it  is  simply 
a  square  of  cloth,  with  a  slit  in  the  centre  through  which  the 
wearer  puts  his  head.  A  handkerchief  knotted  around  the 
throat,  some  kind  of  a  soft  wool  hat,  and  a  sharp-pointed  knife 
thrust  into  the  belt  complete  the  costume.  When  mounted  on 
their  small,  wiry  horses,  the  lasso,  a  coil  of  rawhide  rope,  at  the 
saddle,  riding  rapidly  and  flourishing  the  thong-like  whip  that 
hangs  from  the  wrist,  their  dress  looks  picturesque  and  suitable  ; 
but  once  they  dismount  and  begin  to  walk,  one  sees  it  is  but  a 
swaddling  for  the  form,  clumsy,  ungainly,  and,  like  most  native 
dresses,  with  no  attention  paid  to  shape,  and  the  object  of  cover- 
ing for  warmth  but  imperfectly  attained. 

There  is  a  nice  theater,  of  good  size,  near  the  plaza,  where  an 
excellent  company  was  giving  Italian  opera.  There  are  two 
large  plazas ;  the  original  one  being  filled  with  fine  old  trees, 
underneath  which  one  can  sit  on  comfortable  benches  and  listen 
to  a  magnificent  military  band  of  some  sixty  well-trained  musi- 
cians ;  the  other  plaza  is  quite  distant,  but  it  is  lovely,  for  it  is 
nearly  all  lake,  only  room  for  a  shaded  walk  around  the  out- 
side, and  in  the  center  one  sees  a  small  island  with  a  grotto  on 
it ;  and  on  this  island  on  feast-days  and  holidays  they  burn  set 
pieces  of  fireworks,  their  reflections  in  the  water  adding  much 
to  the  effect.  There  is  a  promising  Museum  of  the  Province, 
that  has  just  been  started  and  put  in  charge  of  Padre  Lavagna, 
a  priest  with  a  noble  face,  who  had  charge  of  a  parish  in  the 


200  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MA.V-OF-WAR. 

mountain  region.  His  parish  flourished ;  but  while  there  he 
spent  a  good  deal  of  time  on  botany,  geology,  and  kindred  sub- 
jects, reading  Darwin's  works  and  other  like  books,  seeking 
more  light  on  his  favorite  pursuits.  A  visiting  priest  saw  them  ; 
he  was  reported  and  removed  from  his  parish,  which  left  him 
to  starve  until  the  Government  held  out  a  helping  hand,  giving 
him  at  the  same  time  congenial  work. 

On  the  top  of  the  bluff  which  makes  the  edge  of  the  bowl 
that  the  city  lies  in,  are  two  interesting  buildings,  the  Observa- 
tory and  Meteorological  Bureau,  both  government  institutions 
and  both  in  charge  of  scientists  from  the  United  States.  The 
Observatory  was  built  during  the  Presidency  of  Gen.  Domingo 
Sarmiento  and  has  done  some  wonderfully  good  work,  being 
not  only  well  managed  but  the  situation  being  exceptionally 
good  for  statistical  work,  in  the  Meteorological  Bureau,  which 
for  so  young  an  institution  is  progressing  wonderfully.  Its 
record  shows  an  average  of  65  per  cent,  of  perfectly  clear, 
sunny  weather  during  the  year  in  Cordoba.  There  is  one  dis- 
agreeable side  to  so  much  sunshine,  and  that  is  the  clouds  of 
dust,  which  fill  the  air  at  every  puff  of  wind ;  it  lies  inches 
thick  on  everything  that  does  not  move,  and  when  in  the  street 
even  one's  face  is  soon  coated  with  it. 

The  hotels  are  not  clean  and  not  warmed,  but  the  food  is 
pretty  good.  "Walking  about  the  streets,  one  notices  many 
bamboo-huts,  the  sides  plastered  over  with  mud  and  having 


ALONG  SHOES  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  201 

thatched  roofs,  while  towards  the  outskirts  there  are  clusters 
and  long  lines  of  them  ;  but  now  they  are  all  doomed,  and  will 
be  destroyed  at  the  end  of  three  months ;  a  piece  of  land  quite 
outside  of  the  city  having  been  set  apart  where  the  poor  In- 
dians can  erect  others.  This  is  only  one  of  the  many  schemes 
on  foot  to  beautify  the  place.  A  plaza  near  the  river  was  im- 
proved ;  a  colossal  equestrian  statue,  in  bronze,  of  Gen.  La  Paz 
erected,  and  unveiled  in  the  presence  of  the  President,  his  Cab- 
inet, and  the  foreign  diplomatic  corps,  who  all  came  from 
Buenos  Ayres  to  assist.  Just  beyond  the  statue  is  a  fine  iron 
bridge,  called  the  Marcos  Juarez  Celman  bridge,  in  honor  of  the 
President ;  this  bridge  rests  at  either  end  on  the  splendid  new 
embankment  which  will  hedge  the  river  in  on  either  side  when 
finished,  and  prevent  the  disastrous,  fever-producing  inunda- 
tions that  formerly  came  every  spring  when  the  snows  of  the 
Andes  began  to  melt.  On  the  farther  side  of  the  bridge  a  level 
space  at  the  foot  of  the  encircling  bluff  has  been  laid  out  as  a 
park,  and  promises  well.  An  immense  dam  and  reservoir  is 
building  in  the  mountains  for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  the 
entire  plain  about  the  city  so  as  to  surround  it  with  green  fields 
and  groves.  There  is  a  good  race-course  with  a  large  grand- 
stand, the  boxes  of  which  were  filled  with  dark-eyed  senoras  and 
senoritason  the  ninth  of  July,  which  is  their  Independence  Day, 
when  we  saw  some  very  fair  races  and  an  interesting  crowd  of 
countrymen,  who  had  ridden  in  on  their  little  horses  and  took 


202  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

a  great  interest  in  all  the  events  of  the  day.  The  racers  were 
mostly  of  English  blood  or  imported  stock  crossed  with  native. 

We  happened  upon  a  fair,  and  finding  the  girls  in  charge 
pretty,  went  in  and  invested.  Nothing  was  for  sale  outright, 
but  you  handed  one  of  the  senoritas  any  sum  you  chose,  and  she 
gave  you  a  greater  or  less  number  of  tiny  paper  rolls,  which 
were  glued  so  tightly  that  it  took  some  minutes  to  open  each  ; 
generally  you  found  all  blank  inside,  but  one  of  the  gentlemen 
found  two  numbers,  after  investing  several  dollars,  and  received 
a  spool  of  pink  cotton  thread  and  a  little  picture  with  a  prayer 
on  the  back.  There  were  all  sorts  of  bric-a-brac  around  the 
room  with  a  number  fastened  to  each,  but  those  numbers  did 
not  appear  to  us  nor  to  any  of  the  other  numerous  gamblers  in 
the  place.  However,  the  girls  were  pretty  and  pleasant. 

One  of  the  residents,  who  was  very  kind  to  us,  was  an  en- 
thusiastic botanist,  and  showed  us  many  curious  things  that 
were  indigenous,  among  them  the  bark  of  a  tree  which  could  be 
scaled  off  in  pieces  no  thicker  than  paper,  making  excellent 
cigarette  wrappers.  One  day  he  proposed  that  we  go  to  call  on 
a  friend  of  his  in  the  country,  and  of  course  we  were  delighted. 
We  rode  through  the  city,  and  started  to  walk.  It  had  not 
rained  for  months,  the  dust  was  ankle-deep  and  rose  about  us 
in  a  cloud.  The  road  was  very  long,  and  I  began  to  ask  ques- 
tions about  the  dust-laden  shrubs  and  received  a  great  deal  of 
information  in  return.  Some  of  them  belonged  to  the  cinchona 


ALONG  S11OEE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  203 

family,  others  bore  a  seed  vessel  with  a  covering  resembling 
tripe,  and  the  bush  is  called  monk's  tripe. 

Finally  we  arrived  to  find  the  usual  low,  white-washed 
country  house,  with  numerous  outbuildings,  but  this  one  was 
unusually  blest  in  having  numerous  bright  green  fields  about 
it,  irrigated  by  the  broad  shallow  river  which  flowed  near  by. 
The  owner  was  absent,  gone  to  the  city,  a  peon  informed  us, 
and  after  expressing  regret  and  disgust  our  guide  proposed  to 
take  us  home  another  way.  I  had  been  growing  more  and 
more  amused  as  I  watched  the  faces  of  our  crowd,  and  felt 
ready  for  any  lark,  so  agreed  that  we  had  better  go  home 
another  way,  and  he  led  us  across  the  green  fields  down  to  the 
•  river  bank ;  he  and  I  were  about  to  step  in  and  wade  over  when 
there  was  a  revolution  behind  us  and  we  had  to  go  back  the 
way  we  came. 

Once  in  the  hotel,  I  was  treated  to  a  piece  of  the  mind  of 
each  of  the  party,  my  interest  in  shrubs  belittled,  and 
finally  a  demand  was  made  to  know  if  I  had  really  intended 
wading  that  river,  and  I  said,  "  Why  not  ?  "  I  had  already 
spoiled  a  blue  cloth  costume  rather  than  hurt  the  feelings  of 
our  new  friend,  and  saw  no  reason  to  hesitate  at  ruining  a  pair 
of  shoes  as  well  by  wading,  and  as  the  water  was  not  over  half 
a  foot  deep,  they  would  none  of  them  have  drowned.  I  was 
the  only  woman  in  the  party,  and  the  men  did  not  like  to  show 
the  white  feather  first,  so  I  enjoyed  their  disgust  and  knew  I 


204  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

could  easily  get  even  when  necessary,  as  some  spoke  no  Spanish 
and  the  others  could  not  rattle  it  off  as  I  could,  and  they  often 
wanted  help. 

Cordoba  is  a  most  interesting  place,  and  one  could  most 
pleasantly  pass  a  month  here,  our  nine  days  being  altogether 
too  short.  It  is  not  yet  modernized,  and  it  is  only  by  straying 
far  from  the  regular  routes  in  Europe  that  one  can  find  such  a 
charming,  antique  city  to  wander  in  as  this,  which  is  only  to  be 
reached  by  passing  over  miles  and  miles  of  dead  level  pampas  ; 
almost  250  of  them,  as  the  crow  flies,  lie  between  it,  the  city  of 
Rosario,  and  the  great  Parana  River. 

In  the  streets  of  Cordoba  only  the  richest  women  Avear 
bonnets  or  hats ;  the  others  use  the  soft,  black  cashmere  manta 
that  is  so  common  in  Peru  and  Chili.  In  Lima,  the  capital  of 
Peru,  it  is  the  only  recognized  head-gear  for  church  wear.  If  you 
attempt  to  enter  a  sacred  edifice  with  hat  or  bonnet  on  some 
one  will  ask  you  to  take  it  off ;  bare  heads  or  mantas  are  alone 
permissible.  This  manta  is  a  piece  of  cloth  about  nine  feet 
long  and  four  to  six  in  width,  wound  around  the  head  and 
shoulders,  enveloping  the  person  always  as  far  as  the  waist  and 
sometimes  to  the  knees.  It  is  always  of  black,  its  fineness 
depending  upon  the  purse  of  the  wearer.  One  sometimes  sees 
women  and  young  girls  in  a  snuff-colored  petticoat,  leather 
girdle  pendant,  and  white  manta.  These  are  people  who  have 
taken  a  vow  to  wear  the  dress  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  as  a 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  205 

thank-offering  for  recovery  from  sickness  of  themselves  or  of 
some  relative  or  friend.  It  is  not  assumed  as  a  penance  for 
terrible  sins,  as  some  assert,  for  I  was  repeatedly  assured  by 
native  women  in  Peru  that  it  was  often  put  011  as  one  would 
light  a  candle  and  put  it  before  an  altar,  for  any  trivial  religious 
reason.  The  women  of  South  America  are  often  spoken  lightly 
of,  and  it  seems  to  me  quite  without  reason.  If  their  men  were 
like  ours,  if  the  women  had  our  education  and  chances  they 
would  be  as  famous  for  their  morality  and  beauty  as  is  the  girl 
of  the  United  States.  There,  as  everywhere,  it  is  the  one  lamb 
who  goes  astray  that  is  told  of  in  song  and  story,  not  the  ninety 
and  nine  in  the  sheepfold.  After  four  years  spent  in  South 
America,  I  am  a  warm  defender  of  the  women  there.  They  are 
pretty,  sweet,  gentle,  and  pure,  and  their  intellects  good. 
What  more  can  one  ask  ? 


XXVI. 

FROM  ROSARIO  TO  SANTA   ELENA  AND  CITIES 
BY  THE  WAY. 

PROFESSOR    KEMMERICH'S    BEEF-EXTRACT    WORKS — AN    ES- 
TABLISHMENT LARGER  THAN  LIEBIG'S CAPTIVE  INDIAN 

GIRLS   AND    WOMEN   AS   HOUSE   SERVANTS. 

JTTST  above  the  city  of  Rosario,  the  right  bank  of  the 
Parana  is  a  bluff  and  dotted  with  buildings,  while  the  islands, 
being  old,  are  well  wooded,  which  makes  them  prettier  than 
common,  but  this  only  lasts  a  while  and  we  are  soon  winding 
and  twisting  among  the  shifting  islands.  The  vessels  we 
see  are  much  smaller  than  those  we  saw  below,  and  our 
craft  had  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  pilot,  the  one  who  had  come 
from  Asuncion  three  months  before,  declining  to  go,  as  the 
channel  would  be  sure  to  have  changed  in  that  time.  Dia- 
mante Point  is  a  fine  wooded  headland,  which  we  passed  on 
the  second  day,  and  here  it  is  that  the  naval  academy  was 
being  placed,  it  having  been  decided  to  move  the  youths 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  207 

from  their  old  quarters  on  one  of  the  fine  avenues  of  Buenos 
Ayres.  While  the  location  is  healthy,  and  the  view  must 
be  superb,  yet  it  will  seem  a  desert  to  the  boys  at  first,  and 
the  tiny  village  nestling  at  the  base  of  the  river  bluff  of  small 
account.  We  now  found  the  left  bank  bluff  all  the  way, 
and  these  bluffs  are  full  of  fossils,  of  all  sorts  and  descriptions, 
from  mastodons  to  tiny  shells,  the  whole  province  of  Entre 
Rios  being  a  most  famous  place  in  which  to  search,  all  the 
museums  of  the  country  being  well  supplied  from  there. 
The  city  of  Santa  Fe,  on  the  right  bank,  is  large,  but  it  is 
set  so  far  back  from  the  river  that  in  passing  one  sees  only 
the  few  buildings  that  form  the  port,  whence  a  railroad  runs 
to  the  city. 

The  city  of  Parana  is  just  above  on  the  Entre  Rios  bank, 
and  here  we  tarried,  anchoring  close  under  a  steep  bluff, 
which  is  gradually  being  dug  away  to  obtain  the  shells,  just 
here  mostly  those  of  oysters,  which  lie  in  thick  layers  like 
veins,  and  are  speedily  converted  into  lime  at  the  kilns  near 
by.  An  oyster  is  not  to  be  obtained  in  the  markets  of  Uruguay 
or  the  Argentine,  except  a  few  that  are  brought  down  from 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  yet  here  are  millions  of  shells  that  must  once 
have  held  the  delicious  morsels,  and  stopping  by  the  bluff 
we  dug  out  a  few  shells  to  take  on  board,  because  they 
reminded  us  of  the  pleasures  to  come'  when  once  more  we 
should  be  cTiez  Uncle  Sam.  Landing  at  the  wharf,  we  passed 


208  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

several  vessels  loading  with  lime,  and  numerous  ox-carts 
drawing  the  same  to  them.  The  street  was  a  poor  roadway, 
with  a  few  houses  here  and  there,  and  at  the  farther  end 
we  found  a  street-car,  drawn  by  three  horses — a  spiked  team 
— which  was  soon  filled  with  people  ;  then  the  driver  cracked 
his  long  whip,  shouted  lustily  to  the  poor  brutes,  and  they 
dashed  off,  dragging  the  heavy  car  up  the  steep  bluff,  along 
a  gently  sloping  street,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  all,  into 
the  city.  The  place  is  now,  since  the  decadence  of  Concep- 
cion  del  Uruguay,  the  capital  of  the  province,  the  two  cities 
being  connected  by  rail.  Parana  is  thriving;  it  has  a  good 
port,  which  its  rival  has  not,  so  all  the  produce  from  the 
interior  comes  there  to  be  shipped;  then,  like  most  places 
in  the  country,  there  were  all  sorts  of  schemes  on  foot, — booms, 
one  might  call  them, — while  every  one  was  cheerful  and 
smiling,  seeing  a  great  fortune  in  the  near  future.  To  a 
stranger  there  was  not  much  of  interest,  the  same  narrow 
streets  that  are  found  everywhere,  high  sidewalks,  adobe 
houses  with  flat  roofs,  and  shops  for  the  sale  of  necessaries. 
A  church  with  a  crooked  cross  on  top,  unfinished  without  and 
bare  within,  faced  the  old  plaza.  The  new  plaza  was  farther 
up  and  looked  rather  pretty  with  its  flower  beds,  while  the 
singing  of  the  children  in  the  graded  schools  called  our  at- 
tention to  the  large  building  whence  they  soon  came  swarm- 
ing to  scatter  in  all  the  adjacent  streets.  One  day  we  pulled 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  209 

down  the  river  to  where  some  railroad  tracks  came  down  to 
bring  freight  to  ships,  and  wandered  into  the  country,  which 
we  found  covered  with  grass  and  low  bushes.  The  views 
of  rolling  land  and  spreading  river  were  quite  pretty,  and 
the  cardinal  birds  whistled  blithely  as  they  flew  from  bush 
to  bush.  We  were  brushing  off  mosquitoes  and  wandering 
about  rather  aimlessly,  when  suddenly  surrounded  by  a  herd 
of  goats,  in  charge  of  a  tiny  cherub-faced  boy  who  was  singing 
at  the  top  of  his  voice  something  about  the  moon,  until  the 
song  was  frozen  in  his  little  throat  by  the  sight  of  strangers ; 
yet  he  soon  forgot  his  fears  and  told  us  about  his  herd,  finally 
running  off  after  them  with  a  smile  and  a  cheery  good-day 
to  us. 

Villa  Urquiza  is  a  little  town  named  for  the  old  tyrant, 
whose  brother  still  lives  there.  It  looked  especially  pretty  as- 
we  glided  past,  because  of  the  fringe  of  willow  trees  along  the 
bank,  underneath  which  were  a  number  of  people  and  carts, 
which  gave  it  a  lively  air.  There  is  quite  a  number  of  colonies- 
en  either  bank,  mostly  formed  by  different  nationalities  and 
called  the  Swiss  colony  of  Anna  Maria  Point,  German  colony 
of  some  other  place,  and  they  were  all  reported  as  flourishing, 
but  generally  sat  well  back  from  the  river  and  were  not  easily 
accessible. 

The  next  stop,  to  go  ashore,  was  at  Santa  Elena,  where  is  the 

large  condensed  beef-extract   factory   of  Prof.    Kemmerich,  a 

14 


210  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

German,  who  was  for  many  years  head  man  under  Mr.  Giebert 
at  Liebig's  factory  in  Uruguay.  He  married  one  of  Mr.  Gie- 
bert's  daughters,  a  charming  woman,  and  we  enjoyed  several 
days  here,  mostly  spent  at  the  hospitable  house  of  Prof.  Kem- 
merich  and  his  brother-in-law,  Giebert,  who  is  also  in  the  busi- 
ness. There  were  two  interesting  Kemmerich  girls,  and  each 
had  an  Indian  waiting-maid  of  about  her  own  age.  I  say  about, 
as  Mrs.  Kemmerich  told  me  she  had  no  means  of  knowing  the 
age  of  the  children  when  given  to  her,  for  they  were  captives. 
The  smallest  one — about  five  years  of  age — was  bought  of  her 
captor  for  a  bottle  of  cane  (native  rum),  and  he  gave  no  details 
to  the  friend  who  secured  her.  We  often  saw  Indian  girls  fill- 
ing the  place  of  servants  in  families  of  officials,  and,  while  the}r 
seemed  always  kindly  treated — and  those  with  her  were  cer- 
tainly most  kindly  and  considerately  and  even  tenderly  treated 
by  Mrs.  Kemmerich — still  their  position  excited  my  curiosity. 
I  was  told  by  an  Englishman  who  had  been  long  years  in 
the  country,  that  the  Indian  tribes  in  the  North  were  often 
troublesome,  and  when  war  was  made  on  them  the  men  were 
killed  or  enlisted  in  the  army,  while  the  women  and  children 
were  brought  to  the  river  and  started  for  Buenos  Ayres  ;  that 
wherever  the  steamer  stopped  that  had  women  captives  on  board 
the  inhabitants  could  go  to  the  authorities  and  get  orders  for 
what  number  they  wished,  then  could  go  on  board,  pick  out 
their  women  and  take  them  away  as  their  property — slaves,  in 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  211 

short.  He  also  told  me  that,  finally,  the  foreigners  found  it  out 
and  were  so  distressed  at  the  sights  consequent  on  separating 
families  that  they  protested  until  the  government  sent  orders  to 
take  no  more  women  and  girls  prisoners.  I  had  the  temerity  to 
ask  several  Argentine  officials  about  it,  and  am  free  to  say  their 
elaborate  and  explanatory  denials  were  not  altogether  convinc- 
ing, chiefly  because  they  left  the  presence  of  the  girls  I  had  seen 
unaccounted  for.  The  little  one  at  the  Kemmerichs'  was 
bought  from  an  Indian  who  was  supposed  to  have  captured  her 
from  some  other  tribe  with  whom  his  people  were  at  war. 
Prof.  Kemmerich  is  professor,  doctor,  and  land-owner,  as  well 
as  owner  and  head  of  a  factory  larger  than  Liebig's,  where  de- 
licious extract  is  made,  and  he  also  puts  up  a  peptonized 
extract  and  liquid  concentrated  bouillon,  neither  of  which  is 
prepared  by  Liebig.  He  is  also  German  consul  and  a  citizen  of 
that  empire.  About  the  house  is  quite  a  colony  of  houses  for 
the  workmen  as  well  as  a  schoolhouse  where  the  children  are 
taught.  One  day  we  went  for  a  long  ride  in  the  country,  and 
the  roads  near  the  settlement  were  a  novelty  to  me.  The  thou- 
sands of  animals  driven  to  slaughter  are  about  the  same  size,  and 
when  the  road  was  softened  by  rains  they  had  trodden  it  into 
furrows,  each  row  stepping  in  the  tracks  of  those  preceding. 
Then  the  road  had  dried,  which  hardened  it.  Driving  over 
this  is  to  be  imagined.  Miss  Kemmerich  and  I  braced  against 
one  another  and  clung  to  the  carriage  with  our  hands,  yet  it  \vas 


212  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

delightful,  too,  for  the  country  was  slightly  rolling  and  fairly 
well  wooded.  There  were  numerous  flocks  of  parrots  and  par- 
roquets  flying  about,  as  well  as  doves  and  quail.  We  visited 
an  estancia  and  watched  and  talked  to  the  herders  and  their 
women  and  children,  as  well  as  saw  a  little  of  their  home  life. 
This  was  a  farm  house,  and  the  contrast  with  any  I  ever  saw  in 
my  own  land  was  striking  ;  the  utter  lack  of  cleanliness,  comfort, 
or  even  what  we  would  consider  necessities,  and  the  satisfaction 
of  all  hands  with  the  existing  state  of  affairs  was  appalling,  yet 
these  people  were  kind  and  hospitable,  offering  eggs  and  mate", 
which  seemed  their  all. 


XXVII. 
LA  PAZ  TO  CORRIENTES. 

ITS  QUAINT  OLD  STRUCTURES — THE  CHURCHES,  MARKETS, 
AND  PUBLIC  BUILDINGS — CHAT  WITH  A  BANK  CASHIER 
AND  AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  A  NATIVE  PRIEST — A  TOWN 
THREE  HUNDRED  YEARS  OLD. 

THE  city  of  La  Paz  is  quiet  and  peaceful,  even  if  it  is  not 
,the  actual  abode  of  the  peace  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
and  shortly  after  we  had  anchored  the  pilot  went  on  shore  to 
his  home  and  sent  me  off,  not  a  dove,  but  a  live  cardinal  bird, 
tied  up  in  a  handkerchief.  The  next  day  we  went  ashore  to 
find  it  quite  a  city,  situated  on  ground  sloping  up  from  the 
river,  spreading  out  over  a  good  deal  of  space,  as  there  are 
many  trees  and  some  orchards.  There  does  not  seem  to  be 
much  trade,  and  although  the  streets  have  been  cut  into  deep 
ruts  by  the  wheels  of  heavy  wagons,  many  were  grass  grown, 
ruts  and  all.  After  our  custom,  we  talked  with  the  people  in 
the  streets  and  shops,  a  wine  merchant  asking  us  back  into  his 


214  ALONG  SHORE  WITII  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

house,  where  we  found  a  pretty  wife  and  a  numerous  brood  of 
black-eyed  little  children,  one  of  whom  was  several  times 
offered  to  us,  and  they  really  seemed  in  earnest  in  so  doing. 
The  shops  were  small,  but,  as  usual,  there  was  a  silversmith 
who  hammered  out  pretty  things  for  the  adornment  of  man, 
woman,  and  horse.  They  are  building  a  fine,  large  munici- 
palidad  or  town  hall,  and  the  plaza  had  long  lines  of  rose  bushes, 
orange  and  eucalyptus  trees.  The  country  around  was  dotted 
with  white  houses,  which  looked  pretty  and  cheerful. 

From  here  we  left  the  bluffs  behind  us,  that  is,  we  left  the 
bank  and  struck  out  into  the  maze  of  islands,  sometimes  brush- 
ing close  to  them,  and  little  birds  were  often  brought  me  that 
had  alighted  on  the  deck  or  rigging.  They  were  mostly  like 
our  yellow  birds,  and  were  so  wild  that  we  let  them  go  when 
near  the  bank  on  either  side. 

The  town  of  Esquinas  was  visible  in  the  distance,  over  a  low 
island  which  had  formed  in  front  and  effectually  blocked  up  the 
port  to  any  but  the  tiniest  craft.  Bella  Vista  looked  much  like 
the  other  towns  when  we  slowed  down  off  it  to  send  the  mail 
ashore  and  get  some  marketing.  The  official  visit  of  the 
captain  of  the  port  was  made  in  a  boat  evidently  hired  for  the 
occasion,  as  while  he  had  two  port  sailors  in  uniform  as 
attendants  the  man  who  ro'wed  had  the  whole  carcass  of  a  cow 
to  dispose  of,  for  which  he  asked  twelve  nationals,  but  carne 
down  to  ten  and  a-half,  about  f 6.25. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  215 

Next  we  came  to  the  city  of  Corrientes,  which  is  large  and  of 
a  good  deal  of  importance,  being  the  chief  northern  city  of  the 
Argentine.  Here  it  was  that  Francisco  Solano  Lopez  made  the 
start  with  his  Paraguayan  troops  to  cross  Argentine  territory  in 
order  to  reach  his  enemies,  the  Brazilians,  which  act  opened 
hostilities  in  what  was  to  be  a  five  years'  war,  and  gave  the 
Argentines  a  chance  to  join  the  Brazilians  in  the  attempt  to 
partition  Paraguay  among  them.  During  the  war  this  city  was 
headquarters  for  the  allied  armies  and  fleets.  By  this  time  Ave 
were  far  enough  north  to  have  the  landscape  quite  tropical; 
orange  groves  were  to  be  seen  from  Bella  Vista  up,  and  their 
glossy  green  foliage  was  lovely  against  the  gray  and  white 
adobe  walls  of  the  houses  and  churches  of  Corrientes. 

After  the  usual  official  fuss  and  feathers  we  went  ashore,  and 
I  was  charmed  with  the  quaint  old  houses.  The  streets  are 
narrow  and  numerous.  Walking  out  one  day  we  came  to  the 
market,  finding,  as  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  only  a  few 
women  guarding,  among  other  things,  piles  of  oranges,  which 
sold,  to  foolish  strangers,  for  fifty  cents  a  hundred.  Quantities 
of  cigars  made  from  native  tobacco  were  there  :  some  of  the 
women  were  rolling  them  then  against  the  next  day's  sales. 
The  tobacco  was  light  in  color,  but  looked  good.  These  women 
also  make  a  lace  like  that  of  Cordoba,  the  mesh  square  and 
knotted,  the  pattern  tied  or  woven  in.  There  were  plenty  of 
the  familiar  peanut,  but  raw,  and  we  passed  them  by  to  enjoy 


216  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

the  antics  and  chatter  of  two  parrots,  who  were  swinging  in  a 
ring  and  having  a  most  jolly  time,  to  judge  by  the  frequent 
peals  of  laughter  that  interlarded  their  gossip.  We  stopped  at 
a  bank  to  buy  some  paper  money  and  became  quite  intimate 
with  the  cashier,  while  all  the  clerks  came  and  stood  around, 
gazing  with  undisguised  curiosity;  it  made  one  feel  like  a 
monkey  and  a  hand  organ.  However,  we  heard  the  family 
history  of  the  friendly  official,  and  he  offered  to  take  us  about 
in  his  carriage  at  any  time.  He  said  the  town  was  three  hun- 
dred years  old,  and  it  doubtless  is.  Many  of  the  oldest  houses 
were  long  and  unusually  low  with  tiny  windows  and  small, 
heavily-barred  doorways,  a  porch  along  the  front,  its  roof  sup- 
ported at  the  eaves  by  black  palm-tree  trunks,  and  the  roof 
covered  with  other  varieties  of  palm  trunks  that  had  been  slit 
and  scooped  out  in  the  center,  like  a  Dutch  tile.  On  the  fronts 
of  some  of  them  were  bullet  marks,  souvenirs  of  revolutions. 

There  were  frequent,  heavy  showers  every  day  of  our  stay 
and  the  streets  a  mass  of  mud,  but  the  raised  sidewalks  were 
passable  and  the  crossings  fair.  Stores  were  quite  numerous, 
and  very  good  for  the  situation  of  the  city.  Country  wagons 
— prairie  schooners — drawn  by  long  lines  of  oxen  were  fre- 
quently seen,  and,  as  to  reach  the  leaders,  a  goad  with  a  very 
long  handle  was  needed,  it  was  often  suspended  by  a  rope  just 
under  the  roof  of  the  wagon,  and  the  driver  by  reaching  up 
could  direct  it  to  the  flanks  of  the  oxen  without  much  trouble. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR  217 

Some  of  the  goads  were  ornamented  with  tufts  of  ostrich 
feathers.  The  grand  plaza  was  quite  pretty  with  a  monument 
in  the  center  and  a  fine  municipal  building  at  one  corner,  shin- 
ing in  its  coat  of  new  stucco  and  paint.  Another  side  of  the 
square  is  decorated  with  a  mediaeval  castle-like  structure,  which 
is  the  Cabildo,  built  in  1816. 

Near  this  latter  was  the  rough  brick  church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Mercy,  and  we  were  much  disappointed  to  find  all  the  doors 
locked.  An  arch  in  a  side-wall  led  into  a  grass-grown  quad- 
rangle with  cloisters  around  it,  and  we  were  debating  about 
entering  when  across  the  green  turf,  cantering  toward  us,  came 
a  black  horse  with  rough,  long  coat.  Astride  him,  his  legs 
sticking  straight  out,  cassock  rolled  up,  and  tucked  into  the 
rope  girdle,  was  a  priest.  His  shovel-hat  well  on  the  back  of 
his  head  showed  a  face  of  pure  Guarani  type.  When  he  saw  us 
he  smiled  pleasantly,  reined  in  his  charger,  and  halting,  showed 
us  where  a  rope  and  bell  hung  near  by.  We  rang  and  then  he 
rang,  but  the  porter  was  probably  stowed  away  in  some  cell 
enjoying  a  siesta,  and  tying  his  horse  to  a  post  the  priest  slipped 
out  of  the  saddle  and  offered  himself  as  guide  after  furnishing 
my  husband  with  a  native  cigar  like  the  one  he  himself  was 
consuming.  He  told  us  there  were  4,000  inhabitants  and  that 
the  people  were  very  religious  ;  he  was  proud  of  being  a  native, 
born  twenty-five  leagues  away,  and  spoke  some  Guarani  for  us, 
thinking  it  very  odd  that  we  did  not  speak  it.  It  seems  a 


218  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

language  of  guttural  exclamations,  and  in  time  we  acquired  a 
little  of  it,  but  it  must  be  quite  a  language,  for  it  was  the  pre- 
dominant speech  of  Eastern  and  Southern  South  America,  as 
Quichua  was  of  the  northern  and  western  parts. 

The  church  was  clean  and  had  several  altars  in  good  order, 
but  nothing  to  interest  us  as  much  as  our  guide,  who  cross- 
questioned  us  as  to  our  religious  beliefs  as  well  as  our  country, 
and  finally  left  us  with  a  blessing  and  a  cheery  good-day,  trot- 
ting off  to  make  a  visit  in  the  country. 

The  church  of  San  Francisco — in  another  part  of  the  town — 
has  a  most  imposing  look,  approached  as  it  is  by  two  colon- 
nades that  sweep  up  to  the  front  in  fine  curves,  but  the  interior, 
while  large,  was  a  disappointment,  barring  some  old  carved- 
leather  coverings  to  some  antique  chairs.  The  paths  in  the 
Plaza  San  Martin  were  under  water,  but  from  the  surrounding 
sidewalk  we  saw  a  military  figure,  with  tall  shako  on  head  and 
sword  in  hand,  on  foot  charging  an  imaginary  foe.  The  gardens 
were  full  of  lovely  flowers,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to  stop 
and  admire  to  have  one's  hands  filled  with  the  fragrant  blossoms 
of  rose  and  jessamine  bushes. 


XXVIII. 

THE  CITY  OF  ASUNCION— ELEVEN  HUNDRED 
MILES  UP  THE  PARANA  AND  PARAGUAY. 

PARAGUAY'S  LONG  AND  BLOODY  STRUGGLE  FOR,  INDEPEND- 
ENCE— HER  THREE  GREAT  DICTATORS — INTERVIEW  WITH 
THE  SON  OF  FRANCISCO  SOLANO  LOPEZ. 

WHEN  the  town  of  Corrientes  faded  from  our  sight  I  gazed 
up  stream  with  increasing  ardor  and  impatience,  for  we  were 
nearing  the  goal  of  my  desire — the  land  of  dictators  and  of 
a  war  whose  history  reads  like  a  grand,  bloody  romance  in 
five  volumes,  one  for  each  year  in  which  the  little  land- 
bound  republic  of  Paraguay  held  at  bay  its  proud  and 
powerful  neighbors,  its  people  copiously  watering  the  soil 
of  their  native  land  with  their  blood  in  order  to  preserve 
their  autonomy  and  their  rights.  What  matters  it  that  they 
fought  under  and  at  the  command  of  a  tyrant?  What  if 
Francisco  Solano  Lopez  was  unnecessarily  unjust?  and  all 
the  braver  their  fight  if  there  were  brightness  neither  at 


1:20  ALONG  SHO11E  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

home  nor  abroad.  Think  of  that  little  nation  fighting  for 
so  long  Brazil,  Argentine,  and  Uruguay,  yet  at  the  end  pre- 
serving most  of  its  country ;  and  who  ever '  heard  of  their 
complaining?  Nine-tenths  of  her  people  fell,  men,  women, 
and  children,  in  battle,  of  wounds,  hunger  or  disease :  the 
country  was  untilled ;  money,  jewelry,  all,  even  the  most 
desperate  resources  for  raising  money  exhausted,  yet  they 
took  up  the  burden  and  began  again  unknown,  unnoticed. 
One  hundred  thousand  people  alone  remained  in  1870;  but 
their  country  is  wonderfully  -rich  in  gifts  of  nature.  The 
mountains  and  plains  are  covered  with  valuable  forests ; 
many  streams  water  it ;  the  climate  is  tropical,  and  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil  easy.  So  when  the  people  increase  once 
more  and  develop  their  natural  riches  there  seems  no  reason 
why  they  should  not  take  a  prominent  place  in  the  sisterhood 
of  republics. 

Dr.  Francia  Carlos  Antonio  Lopez,  and  after  him  his  son, 
Francisco  Solano  Lopez,  each  in  his  turn  from  1811  to  1870, 
held  Paraguay  in  their  relentless  grasp,  dictators  and  tyrants 
by  all  we  can  read  and  hear — the  last  seeming  the  worst 
of  all ;  yet  there  is  truth  in  what  his  son  Enrique  said  to 
me  in  Buenos  Ayres,  when  I  asked  him  to  tell  me  of  a 
book  which  should  give  a  history  of  the  war  from  the 
Paraguayan  side.  "  There  is  none,"  said  he.  "  Our  side 
has  never  been  written."  This  same  Enrique  is  a  quiet, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  221 

self-possessed  man,  having  a  lovely  home,  devoted  to  his  wife 
and  children — the  former,  an  American  by  birth,  and  beau- 
tiful. He  has  a  fine  library,  and  kindly  loaned  me  books 
upon  his  native  land  in  all  the  languages  I  knew.  There 
was  here  a  fine  picture  of  his  father,  in  uniform,  mounted 
on  a  white  horse  ;  not  a  fine  figure — too  stout,  and  the  face 
Guarani;  that  is  a  round  Indian  face,  prominent  features, 
but  the  face  round.  The  photograph  of  his  mother,  Madame 
Lynch,  was  beautiful.  She  would  have  passed  for  a  twin 
sister  of  the  Empress  Eugenie.  He  himself  looked  like  a 
Spaniard,  while  the  next  younger  brother,  Carlos,  was  more 
blonde  and  taller,  but  he  lacked  the  dignity  and  polish  of 
Enrique,  who  is  a  fine  linguist  and  most  kindly  satisfied 
my  curiosity  by  showing  many  relics  of  his  father,  such  as 
his  field-marshal's  baton  of  blue  velvet  studded  with  gold 
stars  arid  the  ends  of  the  same  metal  beautifully  worked ; 
a  gold  riding-whip  presented  by  General  Mitre  upon  the 
occasion  of  a  conference  ;  official  papers  signed  by  Francia 
and  all  of  his  successors  in  office  until  the  war  began; 
military  decorations  ;  a  file  of  a  paper  in  Guarani,  which  was 
published  in  his  father's  camp  during  the  whole  war,  and 
many  other  most  interesting  things. 

Above  Corrientes  we  passed  several  boats  loaded  with 
oranges,  for  it  was  the  first  of  May  and  the  crop  was  beginning 
to  come  down.  They  are  piled  in  as  we  would  pile  in  stones, 


222  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

filling  the  whole  boat,  and  that  they  may  hold  still  more,  the 
sides  are  built  up  with  a  rough  baskets  work,  and  the  golden 
fruit  put  in  until  it  almost  overflows.  "We  entered  the  mouth 
of  the  Paraguay  River  quite  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  country  was  of  a  low  point  of  land  between  the 
Parana  and  Paraguay,  which  proved  to  be  an  island  where 
6,000  Brazilians  were  buried  during  the  war,  having  died  of 
wounds  and  disease.  It  seemed  odd,  after  our  hundreds  of 
miles  of  river  traveling,  to  finally  be  where  we  could  see  both 
banks,  but  it  was  very  pleasant — we  felt  as  if  we  were  seeing 
more.  The  next  morning  we  passed  Humaita,  our  first  Para- 
guayan town,  which  was  spread  out  some  distance  along  a  low 
bluff,  at  which  lay  two  vessels  being  loaded  by  women  with 
oranges.  The  town  seemed  to  have  about  1,000  inhabitants,  and 
over  a  long,  low  building  floated  the  Paraguayan  flag,  which 
consists  of  three  broad  horizontal  stripes  of  red,  white,  and  blue, 
the  center  one  of  white  bearing  mid-way  the  arms  of  the 
country,  a  lion  guarding  a  pole  on  which  is  a  liberty-cap.  The 
town  was  dominated  by  the  ruins  of  a  church  which  was  bat- 
tered down  by  the  Brazilians.  All  the  houses  have  thatched 
roofs.  There  was  no  sign  of  fort  or  fortification,  but  a  battle 
was  fought  there,  and  a  chain  stretched  across  the  river  to  im- 
pede the  enemy's  fleet. 

We  passed  a  rather  flourishing  colony  on  the  Argentine  side, 
and  then  came  to  the  town  of  Villa  Pilar,  of  the  same  size  and 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  223 

general  appearance  as  Humaita.  A  steamer  the  size  of  ours 
was  an  unusual  sight,  and  when  we  passed,  many  of  the  people 
came  to  the  bank  to  see,  which  pleased  us,  as  we  wanted  to  see 
them.  They  were  generally  dressed  in  white  cotton-cloth,  had 
copper-colored  skins,  and  the  women  largely  predominated. 
The  trees  in  the  woods  were  lovely,  so  fresh  and  green,  and 
there  were  many  flowers.  After  the  mouth  of  the  Vermejo 
River  was  passed,  the  water  was  clear,  which  looked  so  pretty, 
after  the  yellow,  rushing  flood  of  the  Parana.  There  were 
crocodiles  sunning  themselves  on  bits  of  beach  or  stranded  logs, 
and  we  saw  a  cross  erected  to  mark  the  last  resting-place  of 
some  lonely  pilgrim. 

The  next  day  we  passed  several  colonies  on  the  Argentine 
side.  That  of  Formosa  is  large,  and  has  a  cana  factory,  with 
fields  of  sugar-cane  about  it,  a  fine  office  for  the  port  officials, 
and  barracks  for  soldiers.  Opposite  is  a  straggling  Paraguayan 
town,  built  to  prevent  smuggling.  Wherever  there  was  an  open 
space  the  ground  was  dotted  with  palm  trees,  and  banana 
plants  surrounded  each  house.  The  next  day  we  began  to  see 
hills  and  wooded  mountains  in  the  distance,  while  along  the 
river  the  bluffs  grew  higher  and  more  picturesque.  How  lovely 
the  tropical  scenery  looked !  The  richness  of  color,  the  abun- 
dance, all  such  a  treat  to  the  eye,  while  the  hills  and  the  mount- 
ains seemed  so  glorious  after  more  than  a  year  of  dull,  colorless 
stretches  of  pampas,  that  I  began  to  love  the  beautiful  land  my- 


224  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

self,  and  felt  a  personal  sympathy  for  the  patriotic  Paraguay- 
ans. It  must  be  so  easy  to  adore  such  a  beautiful  land.  We 
passed  the  town  of  Villeta,  which  is  the  center  of  the  orange 
trade,  and  near  the  back  was  a  large  shed,  underneath  which 
were  piles  of  oranges,  and  oxcarts  full  of  them  were  being 
dumped,  adding  to  the  accumulation.  The  peak  of  Lambare 
near  the  bank,  is  a  curiously  shaped  affair,  which  is  named  for 
an  Indian  chief;  its  shape  conical  and  so  small  the  base  that 
it  looks  as  if  some  one  had  pared  it  down.  Just  beyond  we 
rounded  a  point,  and  there  spread  before  us,  following  the  curv- 
ing shore,  lay  the  object  of  our  pilgrimage  up  1,100  miles  of 
river,  and  it  seemed  hardly  true  that  we  had  reached  Asuncion. 
There  is  a  line  of  wooded  hills  sweeping  around  in  a  grand 
curve  behind  the  buildings,  and  as  the  ground  of  the  site  is 
uneven,  some  buildings  stand  out  very  prominently ;  especially 
so  does  the  palace  of  Lopez,  which  he  began  building,  its  square 
tower  with  four  minarets  towering  over  all  other  buildings,  and 
vying  with  the  church  steeples. 


XXIX. 

\. 

THE  PLACE  OF  LOPEZ. 

THE  BUSY  WOMEN  OF  PARAGUAY — THEIR  REMARKABLE  SKILL 
IN  LACE  WORK — INDIAN  POTTERY  AND  OTHER  CURIOUS 
WARES — THE  MARKETS  AND  THEIR  MANY  ATTRACTIONS. 

THERE  are  about  25,000  inhabitants  in  Asuncion,  and  we 
found  several  good  wharves,  back  of  one  of  which  they  are 
building  a  custom-house  that  promises  to  be  quite  a  fine  one. 
Steamers  run  up  twice  a  week  from  Buenos  Ayres  to  this  city, 
and  when  one  was  in  I  liked  to  frequent  the  wharves  to  see  the 
bales  of  mate  and  tobacco,  boxes  of  cigars,  ferns,  palms,  orchids, 
and  other  living  plants ;  parrots,  parroquets,  small  birds,  deer, 
monkeys,  and  many  small  animals  that  were  always  brought 
down  to  be  shipped  to  the  lower  river  ports.  There  are  two 
street  railways,  and  between  their  tracks  the  ground  is  paved  ; 
otherwise  and  elsewhere  the  streets  are  full  of  sand,  which  gets 
into  one's  shoes  and  seems  unpleasant,  but  I  heard  several 

people  complaining  that  it  was  proposed  to  pave  the  streets, 
15 


226  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

which  they  thought  would  make  the  city  unhealthy,  as  all  of 
those  impurities  which  now  sank  into  the  sand  would  rest  on 
top  of  a  pavement  and  poison  the  air ! 

Walking  along  one  of  the  streets,  near  the  river,  we  came  to 
Lopez's  palace,  which  he  had  to  abandon  in  an  unfinished  state 
and  fly  before  the  allies  to  the  northward,  retreating  until  he 
met  death  on  the  banks  of  the  Aquidiban  River,  not  far  from  the 
Bolivian  frontier.  The  government  is  now  finishing  the  building 
for  its  own  use  and  it  will  be  a  very  fine  affair.  The  ground  floor 
and  that  above  are  spacious  and  roomy,  with  a  grand  staircase, 
while  a  view  from  the  tower  takes  in  the  city  and  surrounding 
country  for  miles  in  every  direction.  On  the  city  side  it  has  a 
large  grass  plat  in  front  and  toward  the  river  two  very  high  ter- 
races reach  to  the  bank  and  command  a  lovely  view  of  the  wind- 
ing river  with  its  banks.  Below  ground — in  the  basement — were 
numbers  of  tiny  cells  for  prisoners,  some  without  even  a  ray  of 
light,  and  one  which  was  only  to  be  reached  by  a  passage  about 

six  feet  long,  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and  just  large  enough 

• 
to  shove  a  man's  body  through ;  it  gave  one  the  horrors  just  to 

look  at  these  places. 

Out  once  more  in  the  soft,  balmy  air,  we  found  on  a  street 
leading  to  the  river  and  just  beyond  the  palace,  a  shop  where 
liquid  groceries  were  dispensed  and  probably  exchanged  with 
the  ignoble  red  man  for  the  numerous  articles  made  by  him, 
that  were  always  there  on  sale.  Bows  and  arrows,  earthenware, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  227 

and  carved  gourds  predominated ;  the  bows  and  arrows  gen- 
erally have  been  much  used,  the  bow  of  wood  with  rawhide 
string,  and  very  difficult  to  bend ;  arrows  of  varying  length, 
tipped  with  wood  or  spear-shaped  heads  of  iron  ground  to  an 
edge  on  both  sides. 

Most  of  the  pottery  was  coarse  and  red,  but  there  were  a  few 
fine  pieces,  among  which  I  secured  a  large,  round  bowl,  with 
straight  sides,  about  two  feet  in  diameter,  the  inside  brown, 
with  indistinct  patterns  in  black  on  it,  the  outside  black,  with 
an  all-over  Greek  pattern  in  red  bands,  with  white  edges  to 
them.  There  were  numbers  of  grotesque  figures  of  no  apparent 
use,  such  as  horses  with  lion's  mane  and  tail,  dogs  with  monkeys 
on  their  backs,  cows  with  asses'  ears  and  no  horns  or  tail,  women 
with  short,  fat  legs,  no  feet,  and  long,  slim  arms,  with  a  wreath 
of  flowers  or  a  round  hat  and  feathers  on  the  head.  These  were 
in  red,  black,  or  white,  or  of  all  three  colors  mixed. 

The  gourds  are  of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  small  ones  for  pepper, 
salt,  and  other  small  articles,  larger  ones  for  meal  and  grain,  and 
all  prettily  decorated,  ornamented  first  with  a  pattern  scratched 
on  with  a  fish  bone  or  pointed  instrument  and  then  colored  with 
different  clays.  These  patterns  are  always  pretty  and  some- 
times beautiful ;  are  always  geometrical  and  never  seek  to  copy 
the  flowing  lines  of  flower,  fruit,  or  other  natural  objects.  In 
the  sandy  streets  one  often  met  the  wild  Indian  woman  with  a 
child  or  two,  trying  to  sell  a  few  gourds  or  feather  dusters.  I 


228  ALONG  SUOEE  WITH  A   MAN-OF-WAR. 

bought  two  gourds  of  a  woman  who  was  so  repulsive  in  face, 
form,  and  dirt  that  it  seemed  unnatural  to  see  her  fondle  the 
baby  she  carried. 

The  native  Paraguayans  are  tall  and  bronze  skinned.  The 
women  are  generally  clad  in  white  cotton  skirt  and  manta,  and 
the  folds  falling  in  straight  lines  and  draping  them  from  head 
to  foot  were  very  picturesque,  and  the  burden  carried  balanced 
on, the  head  gave  them  erect  carriage  and  even  gait.  When  we 
met  a  woman  with  a  bundle  that  looked  like  cloth  on  her  head 
we  would  say  Nanduti  in  a  questioning  tone,  and  then,  if  she 
had  any,  the  bundle  would  be  lifted  from  her  head  and  placed 
anywhere  in  the  sandy  street,  and  we  all  would  sit  down  to 
enjoy  a  trade. 

Nanduti  is  Guarani  for  spider's-web,  and  is  used  to  specify  a 
lace  as  fine  as  any  made  in  Europe  and  more  charming  because 
of  its  novelty.  It  is  made  with  a  threaded  needle,  web  and 
pattern  being  woven  at  the  same  time,  and  is  generally  made 
in  wheels,  hence  the  name,  and  these  wheels  are  put  together 
to  form  borders  for  handkerchiefs,  fans,  yokes  for  chemises, 
trimming  by  the  yard,  and  a  coarse  variety  for  sofa  pillows,  bed 
covers,  and  towel  ends.  The  thread  used  for  fine  pieces  is 
about  No.  300.  The  workwoman  stretches  a  bit  of  muslin  on 
a  hand  frame,  threads  a  needle,  and  weaves  her  spider-web 
wheel,  attaching  it  at  the  edges  to  the  muslin.  When  finished, 
she  cuts  it  loose  and  begins  another.  It  is  very  cheap,  as  one 


•   -  \    .  MR  a 

~    '  ••?-:?:-.  i,-^^,.  "    t-S\-;-V-»   >:s^-S«"   ••  * 


HANDKERCHIEF,  PARAGUAYAN  LACE. 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAE.  229 

can  buy  for  $10  a  handkerchief  that  has  taken  two  months'  labor 
to  complete.  They  prefer  gold  in  payment,  as  they  use  it  to 
make  puzzle  rings  and  ornaments,  and  offering  it  always  caused 
a  reduction.  It  is  said  that  they  were  taught  by  the  Jesuit 
mission  fathers  some  300  years  ago,  which  may  be  so,  but  it 
seems  more  likely  to  me  that  a  native  manufacture  was  im- 
proved and  fostered  by  the  fathers.  In  these  bundles  we  also 
found  table  cloths  and  napkins  of  loosely- woven  cotton,  with 
bands  of  insertion  down  the  center  and  large  wheels  of  nanduti 
set  in  the  corners. 

Then  there  was  a  coarser  knit  lace,  which  is  made  of  un- 
bleached cotton  threads  and  wears  like  iron ;  it  comes  in 
chemise  yokes,  edging,  and  inserting.  There  would  be  yokes  of 
darned  and  embroidered  tulle  that  were  gems  in  their  way,  and 
at  the  bottom  of  the  bundle  would  be  pretty,  serviceable  ham- 
mocks of  white  cotton  or  striped  twine  and  with  a  fringe  falling 
along  each  side.  When  the  bargain  for  lace  or  dry-goods  Avas 
concluded,  to  touch  our  rings  would  suffice  to  make  the  vender 
bring  from  her  pocket  a  handkerchief  on  which  would  be 
strung  a  number  of  gold  puzzle  rings  made  of  slender  chased 
rings,  eight  or  nine  of  them,  twisted  so  to  form  a  solid  ring 
when  on  the  finger  and  falling  apart  as  soon  as  taken  off,  re- 
quiring patience  and  dexterity  to  replace  them.  These  women 
make  the  articles  in  their  own  homes  all  over  the  country  and 
carry  them  to  the  towns  for  sale,  but  never  sell  to  stores.  If 


230  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

ever  their  fine  nanduti  becomes  known  in  this  country  it  is  sure 
to  become  popular  and  take  a  permanent  place  among  their 
finest  goods  on  the  counters  of  our  lace  merchants. 

The  market  was  a  perpetual  source  of  delight,  and  I  went 
there  every  day  of  our  stay.  Raised  two  and  three  steps  from 
the  street  was  the  tall,  square  building,  occupying  a  square, 
and  surrounded  by  a  double  row  of  columns  reaching  to  the 
roof,  the  whole  colored  a  deep,  dark  red.  Crouched  among  the 
columns  were  groups  of  women  and  children,  their  bronze  skins 
showing  plainly  each  outline  where  the  pure  white  garments 
parted,  jet  black  hair  falling  down  their  backs  in  two  braids  or 
caught  up  into  a  careless  cluster  by  a  big  comb  with  gold  top. 

These  gold  combs  were  much  prized  formerly,  and  the 
women  divided  into  two  classes,  those  who  had  gold  combs  and 
those  who  had  not.  These  groups  were  guarding  piles  of 
yellow  maize,  yams,  potatoes,  and  mandioca.  Coming  and 
going  were  numbers  of  white-robed  figures  bearing  burdens  on 
their  heads,  from  tiny  bundles  to  big  red  earthen  jars  filled  with 
water.  Inside  was  a  large,  square,  open  court  filled  with  low 
tables  covered  with  merchandise,  and  all,  even  those  where 
meat  was  cut  up,  served  by  women,  for  the  war  took  so  many 
of  the  men  that  women  do  all  the  work  and  fill  all  sorts  of  un- 
accustomed places  ;  a  male  child  being  a  treasure  beyond  price 
in  their  eyes,  the  little  naked  fellows  bare  faced  around  as  you 
pass  that  you  may  notice  the  sex  and  envy  the  mother  accord- 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  231 

ingly.  Here  we  found  meat,  vegetables,  monkeys  and  other 
pets,  breads  of  all  kinds,  and  among  them  a  crescent-shaped  roll 
of  bread  and  cheese  baked  together ;  lace  of  the  different  kinds 
and  native-made  jewelry  stands,  where  we  purchased  gold 
beads,  combs,  and  ear-rings.  There  were  piles  of  native  cigars 
— excellent  tobacco  they  are  made  of — and  every  one  smokes. 
The  best  brand  is  Papa  Lucas  and  they  cost  $2  a  hundred. 
Just  back  of  the  market  is  a  large  barren  plaza,  where  one  of 
the  Presidents  was  once  assassinated. 


XXX. 

THE  ANNIVERSARY   OF    THE    INDEPENDENCE    OF 

PARAGUAY. 

A  BALL  AT  THE  "  CLUB  FAMILIAR  "  IN  HONOR  OF  THE 
OCCASION — THE  BELLE  OF  THE  EVENING — NOTABLE  PER- 
SONS PRESENT — OLD  PALACE  OF  LOPEZ. 

THE  present  government  building  of  Asuncion  is  just  beyond 
the  unfinished  palace  of  Lopez,  on  the  river  bank.  It  stands 
apart,  surrounded  by  grass,  and  is  rather  an  old-looking,  two- 
storied  affair.  We  first  saw  it  on  the  14th  of  May,  which  is  a 
Paraguayan  Independence  Day.  All  the  windows  were  open 
and  the  people  passing  in  and  out,  and  two  bands  playing  out- 
side gave  the  whole  a  properly  festive  air,  properly  festive 
because  President  Escobar  was  holding  a  reception  within. 
Many  military  personages  were  coming  and  going,  and  some 
civilians  in  broadcloth,  but  none  of  the  people,  none  of  the 
masses.  They  failed  to  take  any  interest  except  in  the  music, 
which  was  continuous,  for  as  soon  as  one  band  stopped  to  take 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  233 

breath  the  other  one  piped  up.  Near-by  was  a  goodly  monu- 
ment, on  which  we  read,  "  Foundation  of  Paraguay,  15th  of 
August,  1536.  First  shout  of  liberty,  14th  of  May,  1811.  Oath 
of  the  Constitution,  25th  of  November,  1870.  Independence 
Day,  25th  of  December,  1842."  Just  beyond  was  a  stretch  of 
green  turf  in  front  of  the  cathedral,  which  is  a  fine,  large  old 
structure  with  roomy  interior,  two  of  the  windows  being  of 
stained  glass.  The  high  altar  is  covered  with  plates  of  silver, 
and  many  ornaments  of  the  same  precious  metals  were  about  it. 
There  was  a  curious  bit  of  old  sculptured  marble  for  a  holy- 
water  basin  that  we  were  told  came  from  ancient  Rome ;  if  so, 
it  probably  has  a  history,  and  anyway  I  longed  to  hear  it  speak, 
that  what  it  had  witnessed  of  the  unwritten  history  of  Paraguay 
might  have  been  poured  into  our  longing  ear. 

The  night  of  the  14th  we  were  invited  to  a  ball  given  by  the 
Club  Familiar  to  celebrate  the  day,  and  I  was  all  the  more 
anxious  to  go  as  it  was  whispered  in  the  air  that  the  adherents 
of  the  political  party  named  "•  Blue,"  or  Conservative,  had 
agreed  to  assassinate  the  ex-secretary  of  state,  Senor  Cavallero, 
that  evening  at  this  same  ball.  He  belonged  to  the  Radicals, 
or  "  Reds,"  and  it  was  determined  to  strike  at  him  because  he 
was  believed  to  be  a  modern  Warwick,  the  true  power  behind 
the  throne.  As  we  approached  the  scene  of  festivities  we 
noticed  double  guards  at  every  corner,  and  at  the  entrance  a 
file  of  soldiers  was  seated,  with  another  file  concealed  behind  a 


234  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

screen  of  trees  in  the  patio.  Either  precautions  were  too  well 
taken  or  they  were  ashamed  to  have  a  scrimmage  before  so 
many  naval  officers  of  the  mother  Republic,  whose  Stars  and 
Stripes  were  floating  from  a  war-ship  in  their  harbor  for  the  first 
time  for  over  thirty  years.  Anyway  the  evening  passed  off 
quietl}r,  and  but  for  the  guards  and  the  absence  of  some 
Paraguayan  officials  and  friends,  who  told  me  they  considered 
discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  one  might  have  fancied  all 
at  peace. 

The  club-house  is  large  and  the  patio  was  beautifully 
decorated  with  flowers,  and  amidst  them  was  set  the  supper 
table  and  the  bands  of  music  placed.  Eight  connecting  rooms 
were  opened  for  dancing,  brilliantly  lighted  with  gas,  and  as 
the  music  was  continuous,  the  floor  was  always  occupied  by 
dancers.  As  usual,  the  girls  were  pretty  and  the  men  carried 
themselves  well.  Of  course  there  was  a  sprinkling  of  English- 
men— one  sees  them  everywhere  in  this  world,  struggling 
for  a  living,  because  their  little  island  is  full  to  overflowing, 
and  those  who  drop  over  the  edges  must  go  somewhere. 
I  was  amused  to  see  some  of  them  ostentatiously  displaying 
red  or  blue  handkerchiefs  to  indicate  their  political  pref- 
erences, as  if  an  Englishman  born  in  Britain  was  ever  any- 
thing else  but  an  Englishman,  or  could  take  any  but  the  most 
evanescent  interest  in  foreign  politics.  It  takes  an  Irishman 
to  go  heart  and  soul  into  another  man's  fight,  and  generously 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  235 

spend  his  blood  in  a  brother's  cause.  The  wife  of  our  vice- 
consul,  Mme.  Saquier,  bore  off  the  palm  for  beauty,  and  as 
a  girl  she  was  called  the  Flower  of  Paraguay.  Still  young, 
she  is  beautiful  in  feature,  form,  and  expression,  as  well  as 
graceful  in  movement.  Her  father  was  called  from  his  house 
and  shot  by  order  of  Francisco  Solano  Lopez,  because  he  was 
of  Spanish  birth,  and  no  foreigner  could  then  live  in  Paraguay. 
President  Escobar  received  us  with  words  of  cordial  greeting 
and  a  pleasant  smile.  He  is  quite  tall,  broad-shouldered, 
with  thin  brown  hair  and  beard,  the  latter  almost  hiding 
his  bad  teeth,  while  his  features  and  skin  indicate  a  certain 
amount  of  Indian  blood.  Afterward  we  frequently  met  him 
riding  through  the  streets,  attended  by  a  single  orderly. 
Near  him,  at  the  ball,  stood  Senor  Cavallero,  a  tall,  portly, 
gray-haired  man,  with  an  intelligent  face.  I  often  wonder 
if  his  enemies  have  killed  him  yet.  Supper  was  served  all  the 
evening,  and  consisted  of  croquettes,  sandwiches,  cakes,  port 
wine,  and  beer.  Quadrilles,  waltzes,  polkas,  and  the  danza 
were  the  dances.  The  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  Senor 
Centurion,  and  his  wife,  were  among  those  we  met,  his  face 
being  remarkable  for  a  bad  scar  on  each  side  of  the  jaws, 
as  if  a  bullet  had  plowed  its  way  through,  and  his  wife 
afterward  told  me  that  such  was  the  case,  and  that  he  re- 
ceived the  wound  at  the  time  Lopez  was  killed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Aquidiban,  her  husband  having  been  with  him  at  the 


236  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

time,  and  escaping  by  hiding  in  the  woods  and  remaining 
there  in  spite  of  his  terrible  wound  until  the  Brazilians  had 
passed  on. 

The  old  palace  of  Lopez,  where  he  resided,  is  now  the 
post-office,  and  quite  near  it  is  an  unfinished  copy  of  the 
Invalides  in  Paris,  which  he  intended  for  his  mausoleum. 
An  unfinished  theater  or  opera-house  also  bears  testimony 
to  his  passion  in  the  way  of  erecting  large  buildings,  nearly 
all  of  which  are  unfinished.  The  outer  walls  of  the  theater, 
rising  two  stories  high,  are  all  that  remains  of  that  building, 
which  was  so  large  that  it  is  a  wonder  as  to  where  he  expected 
to  find  an  audience.  I  was  told  that  any  one  who  would 
build  or  finish  off  rooms  or  shops  inside  the  walls  could  get 
their  rent  free  for  ten  years,  the  government  hoping  thus 
to  get  a  finished  building,  good  for  some  use  at  the  end  of  a 
decade.  The  railway  station  is  a  large  one,  whence  starts 
a  line,  the  first  built  in  South  America,  for  the  town  of 
Encarnacion,  on  the  Parana  River.  It  is  finished  as  far  as 
Paraguari,  and  will  soon  be  extended  to  Villa  Rica.  At 
Encarnacion  it  expects  to  meet  an  Argentine  line.  We  were 
anxious  to  make  the  trip  as  far  as  Paraguari,  but  advised 
not  to,  for  our  time  was  limited,  and  we  were  told  that  the 
roadbed  had  not  been  repaired  since  the  English  originally 
laid  the  line, away  back  in  the  sixties. 


XXXI. 
SUBURBS  OF   ASUNCION. 

BRIGHT  AMERICAN  SCHOOLMA*AMS  IN  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 
—HOW  MATE  LEAVES  ARE  GATHERED  AND  PACKED — 
PARAGUAYAN  MAN-OF-WAR  "  PIRAPO." 

THE  pleasantest  excursion  that  we  made  in  the  environs  of 
Asuncion  was  to  the  country  house  of  Dr.  Stewart,  the  British 
consul,  but  a  man  who  has  made  Paraguay  so  long  his  home 
that  he  is  quite  identified  with  it,  and  during  the  war  was 
Lopez's  chief  medical  officer.  We  rode  a  long  way  in  the 
street-car,  and  finally  alighted  at  the  entrance  to  a  shady  lane, 
down  which  our  way  lay  for  some  time  until  we  came  to  a  large 
gate,  that  gave  entrance  to  a  broad,  uneven  lawn,  dotted  with 
trees  and  sheep,  lying  in  front  of  a  large  house,  to  the  left  of 
which  were  meadows  with  lovely  trees,  while  to  the  right  the 
forest  stretched  a  mile  in  a  seemingly  unbroken  line  to  the 
river ;  the  forest  belonging  to  the  estate. 

Mrs.  Stewart  and  her  daughters  welcomed  us.     She  is  a  full- 


238  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

blooded  Paraguayan,  with  skin  as  white  as  a  Saxon,  tall,  fine 
figure,  and  fine  features.  She  was  at  home  during  all  the  war, 
and  could  a  tale  of  hardship  and  horror  unfold  did  she  choose 
to  speak,  as  her  husband's  good  fortune  in  escaping  after  Lopez 
had  doomed  him,  irritated  the  tyrant,  and  he  made  her  suffer 
accordingly. 

Back  of  the  house  is  a  charming  garden  filled  with  many 
strange  native  fruits  and  flowers,  among  them  orchids, 
delicious  of  odor  and  fascinating  in  color  and  shape.  One 
spike  of  lavender,  of  butterfly-like  blossoms,  with  rich,  heavy 
fragrance,  lingers  especially  in  my  memory.  Then  there  were 
many  strangers  that  the  doctor  had  sent  for,  among  them  a 
sandalwood  tree,  tall  and  flourishing. 

Another  suburb  which  is  rapidly  growing  to  be  a  town  is 
called  Villa  Morra.  It  is  reached  by  street-cars,  and  on  the 
way  we  passed  the  central  cemetery,  where  I  wished  to  alight 
and  examine  ;  but  such  a  clamor  was  raised  about  contracting 
dreadful  diseases  that  I  was  fain  to  be  content  with  a  passing 
glimpse  of  white  head-stones  and  crosses,  decorated  with 
wreaths  of  artificial  flowers  and  ribbons.  Villa  Morra  was 
started  by  an  Italian  gentleman,  who  owned  the  land,  and  as 
he  also  owned  a  street-car  line,  he  connected  the  two,  built  a 
hotel,  laid  out  villa  sites  in  the  forest,  and  named  the  place  for 
himself. 

We  had  a  nice  breakfast  at  the  hotel,  which  had  only  a  few 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  239 

"bedrooms,  but  the  combination  dining  and  billiard  room  was 
unusually  spacious.  Across  the  road,  in  the  forest,  surrounded 
by  fern-trees  and  begonias,  was  a  public  bathhouse  ;  the  large 
tubs  rilled  with  fresh  spring  water,  looking  very  cool  and 
inviting.  We  took  tea  with  some  English  acquaintances  in 
one  of  the  houses  that  bordered  the  road.  One  of  the  doors  to 
the  parlor  opened  on  to  the  road,  the  other  into  the  forest,  a 
place  where  the  ducks  and  hens  met  with  all  sorts  of  adventures 
and  seldom  came  home  at  night  as  numerous  a  flock  as  started 
out  in  the  morning.  The  stable  was  a  square  of  logs  piled  up 
to  keep  the  horses  from  wild  animals,  and  was  rather  primitive, 
but  all  the  climate  called  for. 

It  was  delightful  to  sit  almost  surrounded  by  the  forest  and 
watch  the  shades  of  green  shift  and  change  as  the  wind  passed 
over  the  ferns  and  through  the  branches  of  the  trees,  but  the 
talk  of  our  host  and  hostess  was  all  of  the  halcyon  days  to  come, 
when  their  ship  should  have  reached  port  and  they  be  settled 
once  more  in  England  to  enjoy  life.  In  the  forest  were  begonia 
blossoms,  and  along  the  roads  hibiscus,  while  the  gardens  were 
ablaze  with  blossoms,  a  feast  of  color,  and  a  woman  near  the 
Church  of  San  Roque,  whom  we  went  to  see  making  nanduti, 
gave  me  some  of  the  largest,  finest-colored  La  France  roses  that 
I  ever  saw  anywhere. 

The  hotel  in  the  city  is  on  the  Calle  Palmas,  and  is  a  large 
building  with  nice  airy  rooms,  but  none  of  the  modern  con- 


240  ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR. 

veniences.  The  dining-room  is  the  patio  and  the  food  excel- 
lent, as  well  as  the  fruit.  Not  far  away  was  the  public  school, 
as  Paraguay  has  copied  the  Argentine  in  adopting  our  public 
school  system,  and  has  imported  two  United  States  young 
women  to  begin  the  work — a  Miss  Wales  and  a  Miss  Reid.  They 
were  furnished  with  a  fine  large  house,  were  accumulating 
excellent  apparatus,  and  were  paid  good  salaries  regularly.  Of 
course,  it  was  exile,  but  Miss  Wales  seemed  too  much  inter- 
ested to  mind,  and  Miss  Reid  was  looking  forward  to  matrimony. 
The  children  were  of  the  best  families  and  attendance  good, 
the  hours  of  attendance  being  somewhat  longer  than  with  us, 
and  a  few  extra  branches  taught. 

There  were  a  good  many  pretty  leopard  skins  for  sale,  as  the 
animals  were  numerous  farther  up  country,  and  a  stuffed  skin 
was  presented  to  us,  which  not  only  proved  a  thing  of  beauty 
and  a  joy  forever,  but  kept  the  mischievous  monkey  out  of  the 
cabin.  He  first  saw  it  when  coming  down  by  way  of  the  hang- 
ing lamp,  and  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes  ;  but  when  he  was 
sure,  fled  with  a  howl  of  terror  that  brought  all  hands  to  the 
scene.  One  day,  in  wandering  about,  we  found  an  old  woman 
who  spoke  Spanish,  and  she  invited  us  into  her  little  hut  of 
two  rooms  and  offered  milk  to  refresh  us.  Everything  was 
neat  as  a  pin,  and  in  the  adjoining  room  her  pretty  daughter 
was  teaching  a  few  little  fellows  their  A  B  C's  for  a  few  cents 
a  week  each  one.  Doors  and  windows  habitually  stood  open, 


ALONG  SHORE  WITH  A  MAN-OF-WAR.  241 

and  the  passer-by  could  see  plainly  what  was  going  on  within, 
and  I  was  struck  with  the  cleanliness  and  tidiness  of  the  poor 
people. 

Of  course,  as  our  visit  was  in  winter,  we  missed  the  intense 
tropical  heat  and  the  clouds  of  insects  that  annoy  one  con- 
tinually by  day  and  by  night,  but  the  people  were  most  kind 
and  courteous,  opening  their  houses  and  entertaining  us  in 
every  way.  Our  consul  was  a  bachelor  living  at  the  hotel,  but 
he  and  the  vice-consul,  Seiior  Saguier,  gave  a  ball  to  the 
officers  at  Senor  Saguier's  house,  and  other  festivities  were 
planned,  when  all  were  ended  by  orders  for  the  ship  to  leave 
for  Buenos  Ayres.  We  used  to  see  great  piles  of  matd  bags, 
and  not  far  from  where  we  were  began  the  yerbales,  or  plains,, 
where  the  mate*  tree  flourishes.  As  I  have  said  before,  it  is  a- 
species  of  holly.  Ilex  Paraguay ensis  is  the  technical  name, 
and  the  leaves  are  gathered  from  the  wild  trees.  It  does  not 
seem  to  be  cultivated  at  all. 

A  fire  is  built  on  the  ground,  over  this  a  dome  of  brush  is  built, 
and  this  dome  thickly  covered  with  mate*  twigs  bearing  leaves. 
When  the  leaves  are  dried  by  the  fire  they  are  packed  into  hide 
bags,  which  hide,  being  raw,  is  flexible  and  the  mate"  is  forced 
in  with  sticks  until  it  is  packed  as  tightly  as  possible ;  then  the 
bag  is  put  in  the  sun  to  dry  and  shrink,  the  result  being  a 
package  as  hard  as  a  stone  and  very  heavy  for  its  bulk.  Some 

packages  must  have  been  three  feet  square  at  the  sewed  edges, 

16 


242  ALONG  SIIORE  WITH  A  M*iy-O 

and  others  not  more  than  a  foot,  yet  some  of  the  latter  woulu 
•weigh  eight  pounds.  The  hair  of  the  animal  is  left  on,  which 
gives  variety  in  color  and  makes  piles  of  them  picturesque. 

There  was  a  brick  factory  and  kiln  below  the  city,  and  here, 
as  everywhere  on  the  river,  the  houses  were  made  of  these  kiln- 
dried  bricks  and  covered  inside  and  out  with  adobe-like  plaster. 
They  have  one  little-man-of-war,  the  Pirapo,  a  small  steamer  whic}" 
came  down  the  river  while  we  were  there,  and  when  visited  by 
one  of  our  officers  he  was  asked  to  excuse  the  appearance  of  the 
deck,  as  they  had  been  in  a  fight  and  had  not  had  time  to  clean 
up.  They  then  had  on  board  the  body  of  a  general  who  had  been 
killed  in  the  revolution  up  at  San  Pedro  a  few  days  previously, 
and  as  he  was  quite  a  man  he  had  a  large  funeral,  the  President 
in  person  attending. 

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pleasant,  gracious  people.  A  gem  of  a  country  set  in  the  bosom 
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